Charles Berry Bridge
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Charles Berry Bridge in Lorain, Ohio is the second-largest bascule bridge in the world. It was dedicated on Veterans Day in 1988. The bridge had been built in the late 1930's and in use for roughly 48 years before extensive rehabilitation was finished and the bridge was officially renamed in honor of Lorain native Charles J. Berry, a Marine who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during a minor grenade battle on Iwo Jima.
During its construction, the Erie Avenue Bridge (as it was formerly called) was the largest bascule bridge in the world [1] and is now considered to be the second largest.
The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) agreed in 1989 to cover funding for the bridge which saves Lorain county nearly half a million US dollars per year. The Charles Berry Bridge is one of only three bridges in Ohio that the ODOT will currently fund.
The Charles Berry Bridge is one of the primary methods of transportation between the east and west of Lorain across Black River along with the Loften Henderson Bridge which is also named after a native of Lorain who was awarded the Medal of Honor.
