Page added 4-7-15.
This bridge is slated for demolition!
Figure 12 Portal.
Photo taken on 3/31/2015.
Figure 11 South sidewalk.
Photo taken on 3/31/2015.
Figure 10 Portal view. Photo taken on 3/31/2015.
Figure 9 North sidewalk.
Photo taken on 3/31/2015.
Figure 8 South sidewalk.
Photo taken on 3/31/2015.
Figure 7 Side view. Photo taken on 3/31/2015.
Preservation:
The Royalview Drive Bridge’s last major rehabilitation occurred in 1974.[5] There are signs of recent rehabilitation work on Countrymans Creek itself, south of the bridge on the right bank of the creek (as seen in Figure 3). This work was most likely done to help prevent erosion. Most of Parma’s older bridges have been replaced with newer ones in the last few decades. Bridges from the 1960s are on the cusp of historic status and most are generally considered to lack historic significance. While the Royalview Drive Bridge is a nice example of a bridge built in the 1960s, it will most likely meet the fate of its predecessors and contemporaries. However, if we continue to demolish those bridges that we deem to be too common and insignificant, we risk losing them altogether.
Figure 5 Pipe railings.
Photo taken on 3/31/2015.
Figure 6 Concrete supports.
Photo taken on 3/31/2015.
The bridge has an urban and residential context. The substructure contains two solid abutment walls, also consisting of concrete. It has two lanes and sidewalks on each side. The bridge has green steel pipe railings with modern fencing and reinforced concrete. The deck, which is reinforced concrete, has a width of 60 feet.[4]
Figure 4 Countrymans Creek, facing North.
Photo taken on 3/31/2015.
Figure 3 Countrymans Creek, facing South.
Photo taken on 3/31/2015.
Design:
The Royalview Drive Bridge is a simple span concrete tee beam bridge. Slab, girder, and beam bridges are considered to be the “common” types of bridges in the United States.[2] Until recently, these types of bridges were generally not considered historic. These types of bridges, both concrete and steel versions, were rapidly built after World War II with the construction of the highway system.[3]
Figure 2 Semi-Portal View. Photo taken on 3/31/2015.
[1] Royalview Drive Bridge. Rep. Ohio Department of Transportation. Buckeye Assets. Web. 6 Apr. 2015.
[2] Brinckerhoff, Parsons, and Engineering and Industrial Heritage. A Context For Common Historic Bridge Types. NCHRP Project 25-25, Task 15. National Cooperative Highway Research Program, 2005. Print. p. 3-80.
[3] Ibid., p. 3-80.
[4] Royalview Drive Bridge. Rep. Ohio Department of Transportation. Buckeye Assets. Web. 6 Apr. 2015. BM191 Report.
[5] Royalview Drive Bridge. Rep. Ohio Department of Transportation. Buckeye Assets. Web. 6 Apr. 2015.
Location:
Parma, Cuyahoga County, Ohio. Royalview Drive over Countrymans Creek.
History:
The Royalview Drive Bridge was built in 1966.[1] It is an example of a common bridge design built in the United States after the Second World War and the construction of the highway system.
Figure 1 Royalview Drive Bridge. Photo taken on 3/31/2015.