Then & Now: Dayton’s record-breaking Main Street bridge

In the early 1900s, the City of Dayton replaced the steel bridge spanning Main Street with one made of reinforced concrete.

The new bridge was built because the steel bridge could not carry the weight of electric street cars according to “On This Date In Dayton’s History” by historian Curt Dalton.

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The Main Street bridge is the subject of this week's update to the popular Then & Now photo feature, which explores past and present views of notable Dayton locations.

The bridge was constructed in seven spans and was one of the first concrete bridges built. At 54-feet wide and 588-feet in length, it was said to be the longest in the world for a period of time, according to Dalton’s research.

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A parade marked the opening of the new structure on July 22, 1903.

In 1956 the bridge was replaced and today a $8.8 million renovation is in progress. Construction is expected to last through the fall of 2019.

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