Rehabilitation of Bridge Street Bridge preserving a nineteenth century historic bascule lift span

ABSTRACT: The Bridge Street Bridge was constructed in 1880 by the King Iron Bridge Company of Cleveland, Ohio. It survives as a unique example of a nineteenth century hand operated mechanical drawbridge. The lifting system is based on a French design from the early 19th Century. This French design had a unique solution to dealing with the variation of bridge balance required while opening a bascule span. This system allowed the bridge to be opened and closed by hand with a relatively constant effort.