Brecksville-Northfield High Level Bridge

The Brecksville-Northfield High Level Bridge is a deck arch bridge that spans 345 meters across the Cuyahoga River with five concrete arches rising 44 meters high. The structure carries State Route 82 traffic over the river, the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, and the Ohio and Erie Canal at once.

Engineer Alfred M. Felgate designed this bridge in 1931 to replace the older Station Road Bridge and connect Brecksville with Sagamore Hills Township. The new structure was part of broader infrastructure improvements happening across the region during the Depression era.

The open-spandrel arch design reflects early 20th-century engineering approaches and has been documented by the Historic American Engineering Record. Visitors can observe how the structure showcases the industrial craftsmanship of that period.

The bridge sits within a park setting and offers good views of the traffic layers below and the river landscape. Visitors should note this is an active roadway, so finding safe parking and walking to explore it is important.

The bridge became the focus of a significant security incident between 2012 and 2013 that drew wider attention. This event made it a notable reference point in conversations about infrastructure protection.

Location: Ohio

Official opening: 1931

GPS coordinates: 41.32140,-81.58730

Latest update: December 14, 2025 09:41