Hope Memorial Bridge
| Hope Memorial Bridge | |
|---|---|
The Lorain–Carnegie Bridge in 1988
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| Coordinates | 41°29′22″N 81°41′37″W / 41.489407°N 81.693554°WCoordinates: 41°29′22″N 81°41′37″W / 41.489407°N 81.693554°W |
| Carries |
 SR 10
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| Crosses | Cuyahoga River |
| Locale | Cleveland, Ohio |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Art deco truss bridge |
| Total length | 1,368.55 meters (4,490.0 ft) |
| Longest span | 69.80 meters (229.0 ft) |
| Clearance below | 28.3 meters (93 ft) |
| History | |
| Construction end | 1932 |
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Lorain-Carnegie Bridge
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| Location | Spans Cuyahoga River between Lorain and Carnegie Aves., Cleveland, Ohio |
| Coordinates | 41°29′22″N 81°41′37″W / 41.489407°N 81.693554°W |
| Area | 8.5 acres (3.4 ha) |
| Built | 1927 |
| Architectural style | Art Deco, cantilever deck truss bridge |
| NRHP Reference # | 76001398 |
| Added to NRHP | October 8, 1976 |
The Hope Memorial Bridge (formerly the Lorain–Carnegie Bridge) is a 5,865-foot-long (1,788 m) art deco truss bridge crossing the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Ohio. The bridge connects Lorain Avenue on Cleveland's west side and Carnegie Avenue on the east side, terminating just short of Progressive Field. Pairs of statues designed by sculptor Henry Hering and architect Frank Walker – titled the "Guardians of Traffic" – stand on pylons at each end of the viaduct, symbolizing progress in transportation.
A bond issue to pay for the bridge was passed in 1921, but construction was delayed for years due to squabbles over how the money would be spent. The bridge was completed in 1932 at a cost of $4.75 million ($83,380,000 with inflation). It stands 93 feet (28 meters) above the river's waterline in order to allow shipping to pass unobstructed. A second, lower deck designed to carry truck and commercial traffic was never put into service.
The bridge was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on October 8, 1976, after a controversy in which county engineer Albert S. Porter threatened to remove the historic pylons to widen the span, stating, "Those columns are monstrosities and should be torn down and forgotten. There is nothing particularly historic about any one of them. We're not running a May Show here." The bridge was renovated in the early 1980s. On September 1, 1983, the Lorain–Carnegie bridge was officially renamed the "Hope Memorial Bridge"; initial reports claimed the new name was chosen in honor of William Henry "Harry" Hope, a local stonemason who helped build the "Guardians of Traffic" sculptures, and the father of comedian and former Cleveland resident Bob Hope. In the years since the dedication, however, claims have varied as to who exactly the bridge's name honors. Some have claimed the bridge was renamed specifically for Bob Hope; others the entire Hope family; and still others have claimed it recognizes Harry Hope along with the other workers who helped erect the giant concrete pylons.
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