Martin Luther King Bridge, Double-leaf bascule bridge in Toledo, United States.
The Martin Luther King Bridge is a double-leaf bascule bridge spanning the Maumee River in Toledo, connecting Cherry Street on the west with Main Street on the east. The structure features two movable sections that can be raised to allow river traffic to pass underneath.
The bridge was built in 1914 by Osborn Engineering following Arnold W. Brunner's design, with construction costs exceeding one million dollars. It represented a major infrastructure achievement for connecting the city's neighborhoods across the river.
The bridge carries the name of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., having been renamed from its original Cherry Street designation. This change reflects how the city honors important historical figures through its public spaces.
The bridge provides four traffic lanes for vehicles and dedicated pedestrian walkways on both sides for safe crossing. Be aware that when the movable sections lift to allow river traffic, vehicle and foot traffic may experience delays.
The bridge includes a specialized mechanism that maintains tension in the streetcar power wires while its sections lift, a solution that influenced bridge engineering designs for years afterward. This technical innovation from the early 1900s solved a problem that many other cities later adopted.
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