Lane Avenue Bridge

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The bridge looking Northeast

Another view of the bridge at night

The Lane Avenue Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge over the Olentangy River in the American city of Columbus, Ohio. It was completed on November, 14, 2003, after only 16 months of construction, five months ahead of schedule. The bridge is 113 meters (370 feet) in length, carrying six 3.5 meter (12 feet) wide lanes for vehicle traffic, as well as two 3.5 meter sidewalks. The cable stayed design was chosen for aesthetic reasons, as well as having a smaller potential for environmental degradation on the river environment. The anchorages for the cables, at 47 tons (104,000 lbs)[1], are noted as being the heaviest single pieces of steel ever to be galvanized. Total price for the project was US$15.6 million with the following funding sources:

$5 million from the Ohio Public Works Commission
$5 million from the Federal Highway Administration
$3.2 million from the Franklin County Engineer's Office
$2.4 million from the City of Columbus

Previously, traffic on Lane Avenue was carried by a 3 lane earth filled arch bridge, which opened in 1919. By 1998, it was determined that the bridge was deteriorating; thus a replacement was needed. Construction on the new bridge started on February 27, 2002, with the old bridge being demolished on November 25 of the same year, after the final home football game at the nearby Ohio State University.