1998 Mimico Creek and 1994 Humber Bay Pedestrian Bridges in Toronto, ON

Mimico: (Satellite)

Humber: (Satellite, 6,826 photos)

Street View, Sep 2021

Street View, Sep 2017

Tanweer Malik posted four photos with the comment: 

Mimico Creek pedestrian bridge in Toronto. It’s a single rib inclined arch bridge – an unusual type of design created by eminent Spanish engineer and architect Santiago Calatrava.

It’s very confusing if you try to figure out the load path in this structure. Perhaps here, arts and aesthetics took priority over simplicity and efficiency of structural engineering of bridges.

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Luis Sánchez commented on the above post
Alameda Bridge (Valencia, Spain). My city.
[More comments indicate that it is also designed y Calatrava.]

Back to the Mimico Creek Bridge.

acotoronto, courtesy of Bob Krawczyk
Year Completed: 1998

To keep the bridge within the budget of $650k, wetlands were added to reduce the creek from 90m (295') to 44m (144'). [CanadianConsultingEngineer]

The deck support being asymmetrical is expected since the bridge support is asymmetrical. And it is thin because the arch helps support it. But the deck being a truss caught my eye. I presume it is a truss to resist the lateral forces introduced by the slant of the arch.

4th of 8 photos via calatrava
"The main elements of the steel superstructure are a 600 millimeter diameter torsion tube, a 200 millimeter diameter edge tube and a 200 millimeter diameter arch tube. These structural steel elements are connected by means of floor beams, bracing members and struts, using a combination of welded and bolted connections."

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Humber Bay Arch Bridge

Several articles about the Mimico Creek Bridge mentioned how the city wanted the bridge to have some pizazz like the awards winning Humber Bay Arch Bridge, but without the expense. So I checked out that bridge as well.

Street View, May 2019

Drone View, Nov 2021

The trail for which it was designed has separate bike and pedestrian lanes.

Trail View, Jul 2017

Trail View, Jul 2017

"Completed in the mid-1990s, the bridge is part of the Martin Goodman Trail and is 139 metres (456 ft) in length, with a clear span of 100 metres (330 ft) over the mouth of the Humber River to protect the environmental integrity of the waterway." [LocalesDesign]

"Completed in 1994 the Humber Bay Arch Bridge is 139 meters long, with a width of 6.50 meters and cost a total of $4,050,000 to build. This bridge is also known as the Gateway Bridge/ Humber Bay Pedestrian Bridge as this is the best way to cross the city if not in a car." [FirstStoryBlog]

MontgomerySisam
[This sources specifies a completion date of 1996.]
As with many tied-arch bridges, the arch was built off site and then floated into place.
"Many of the design features were inspired by the site’s indigenous history. The arch and concrete abutments on either side of the bridge mark the gateway to a historic aboriginal trading route. The steel superstructure connecting the two ribs of the tied arch is patterned as an abstract version of the Thunderbird, an aboriginal icon of the Ojibway who occupied the site for almost two hundred years. References to the natural and local history of the area are also integrated into the design, including snake and turtle motifs."
The arches are parabolically curved.

This source also specifies a completion date of 1994. So that is 2 votes to 1, so I used 1994 in the title. There are 44 stainless steel hangers.

"Love Locks" used to be a problem for this bridge.

Trip

So they built a structure in the Distillery District for Love Locks. Judging by the above street views of the Humber Bay Bridge, they now keep them off of the bridge.

TheStar, Colin McConnell / Toronto Star
Erected in July 2014.

It didn't take long for it to fill up.

And this batch must be from 2016 because all of the locks evidently got cut off in 2016. [reddit]

Street View, May 2017

Bonus

A comment claimed that these bridges are in Toronto, ON. I spent some time looking for it on a satellite map. I think I've been punked. I did learn that Toronto does have some interesting topology. I did find this "triple bridge," but that is not these arch bridges.

Highway Engineering Discoveries posted
Three Different Period Bridges Seen Together, Witness History Changed.

CSX/SAL Bridge of James River in Richmond, VA

(Bridge Hunter broke Mar 22, 2023; no Historic Bridges; Satellite)

Street View, Dec 2022, southern part

The bridge goes over the Mayo Island.

Street View, Aug 2021, northern part

The northern approach to this bridge is the middle layer of the famous Triple Crossing.

Postcard via Dennis DeBruler

 

Note in this photo that there are skinny piers between wider piers. I'll bet this steel girder bridge replaced a double-track truss bridge.

Travis Mackey Photography added
CSX G777-28 crossing the James River at Rockets in Richmond, Virginia on January 31st, 2024
Travis Mackey shared

1956 Richmond Quad @ 24,000

CN Bridge (#6) over Welland Canal at Thorold, ON

(3D Satellite)

This bridge is at the bottom of the twin flight of three locks on the canal.

Street View, Jul 2023

They can operate independently of each depending on what is going upbound and downbound.

Street View, Jun 2017

1 of 6 photos posted by Bobby Dzz via Dennis DeBruler

1 of 5 photos posted by Janey Anderson via Dennis DeBruler

Janey Anderson posted

Source Highway H20 - LinkedIn

The east and west spans of Bridge 6 of the Welland Canal in Thorold, Ontario are Scherzer rolling bascule-type lift bridges which are undergoing a major rehabilitation program. .

This photo shows testing of the newly replaced tread and track plates which are the surfaces on which the moveable span rolls on to open and close the bridge. .

The tread and track plates are required to be accurately aligned to ensure the bridge span rolls smoothly and seats accurately which is particularly important on these bridges which carry railways tracks across the canal.

Justin Patrick: Its also a repair only being done at night. They have to give the bridge back to CN by 0500 daily and they get it back for work by 1900h at night

1967 Keystone Wye Bridges kinda near Mount Rushmore

(Bridge Hunter broke Mar 22, 2023; Satellite)

Street View, May 2018

Street View, Sep 2021

Thaddeus Roan Flickr, License: Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY)

Keystone Wye Bridges

Keystone Wye Bridges between Keystone and Rapid City, in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

An interchange of US 16 and US 16A located in the Black Hills, featuring two unique "glulam" (Glue-laminated) timber bridges. The Keystone Wye is a trumpet-style three-way interchange for the two divided highways, constructed in 1966-67 as part of the project converting US 16 to a four-lane, divided highway from Rapid City, South Dakota to Keystone for visitors to Mount Rushmore National Memorial.

The high bridge is supported by three 20-meter [66'] wooden, single-hinged arches; six separate glulam pieces are used in the construction. Three more pieces were built but failed quality assurance tests; they were assembled into an interesting pyramidal sculpture which for years was located just off US 16 on the then-south edge of Rapid City (a site today occupied by a motel and convenience store), and which was moved to a new location on US 16 near Sitting Bull Crystal Cave in the mid-1990s.

The name Keystone Wye apparently predates the construction of the modern interchange. Major intersections in the Black Hills are frequently named, whether there are communities at the locations or not. (Wikipedia)

Wood Research And Development posted
Keystone Wye in South Dakota really cool bridge and interchange that features and all timber deck.
Blake Scheidegger: That looks like it might not be just the deck, but structural lumber as well.
Wood Research And Development: Blake Scheidegger yeah the entirety of the structure are glulam structural beams with galvanized steel design detailing the cool part was the decking was originally asphalt like most major highway bridges and interchanges but after having to replace the asphalt 3 times they switched it to leave it as a timber deck which actually improved the structural rating.

atropesend 1 of 6 photos

EquipmentWorld, Source: Jack Corr
The arch planks are 91' (28m) long.
"It would have to be done over the winter and be opened in May in time for tourist season. Because of the difficulty of pouring concrete in South Dakota’s cold climate, the DOT decided to replace the concrete decks and steel rails with wood. The DOT also liked that the wood would enhance the aesthetic appearance of the state’s famous landmark."

 

EquipmentWorld, Source: Jack Corr
To avoid damaging the wood arches, "the demolition process, which began in August, was a tedious one. Pieces of concrete structure, 10 feet by 10 feet, were removed one at a time after being saw cut. Crews drilled holes in each panel for lifting pins. An excavator then lifted the panels....The lower bridge deck, which is 50 feet below the upper deck, could be demolished by more conventional methods with hydraulic breakers."
There is a thin layer of asphalt on top of the new Douglas fir deck to protect the wood.
The lower bridge was strengthened by " installing high-strength fiber material bonded to a wood backer and then glued and bolted to the bottom of the beams." 
The project cost $4.5m.

 

DOT_gallery, 1 of several construction photos

Construction was finished before the tourist season of 2022. [BlackHillsFox, KOTATV]

DOT_complete, 1 of several photos
A $2.8m project in 2023 improved the clearance of the lower bridge by lowering the road.

Three images from South Dakota Public Broadcasting:

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1:00 video @ 0:36

A 28:03 video about the original construction   I did not watch it because South Dakota's web server was so bad. The video would play just a few seconds before buffering for many seconds. I did a speed test and measured 119mbs. So the performance problem was not on my end.

Later, I tried again. Iit started OK, but after a minute it became unwatchable again.

1936,2018 US-101 Conde B. McCullough Memorial Bridge over Coos Bay at North Bend, OR

(Bridge Hunter broke Mar 22, 2023; Historic Bridges; HAER; Satellite)

Street View, Jul 2019

HAER ORE,6-NOBE,1--11
11. Perspective view from southwest - Coos Bay Bridge, Spanning Coos Bay on Oregon Coast Highway, North Bend, Coos County, OR

 

Phil Block posted

Conde B. McCullough Memorial Bridge

on a Foggy Morning

Bridges Now and Then posted

Daryl Mills: It was named the Coos Bay Bridge in 1936 when it opened. It was renamed Conde B McCullough Memorial Bridge after his death in 1946.

Phil Block posted
McCullough Bridge

 

Phil Block posted

Jocylin Williams Francis: Where is it located?

Dennis DeBruler: Jocylin Williams Francis https://maps.app.goo.gl/SamxQ7yJCGv4Y8jq5

Phil Block posted

Conde B. McCullough Memorial Bridge 

On a Foggy Morning

Opened in 1936 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the 5,305 foot [1.6km, 1mile] bridge crosses Coos Bay.  Previously named the North Bend Bridge it was renamed in 1947 after Mr McCullough passed away.  He designed 11 bridges on the Oregon Coast Highway.

Phil Block posted again

Significance: The Coos Bay Bridge is historically significant as one of the five Depression-era PW A bridges that completed the Oregon Coast Highway. The completion of these bridges marks the dividing line between the period of relative isolation and dependence on sea transportation of Oregon's southern coastal region to its modern era of land transportation and connection with the hinterland. The Coos Bay Bridge is also representative of the innovative designs by State Bridge Engineer Conde B. McCullough, a pioneer in American concrete bridge design. The McCullough Memorial Bridge includes early examples of concrete arches constructed using Considere-type hinges. The cantilever truss design also represents McCullough's attention to aesthetics, in that the upper and lower chords were curved to complete the arch motif of the bridge. The sway bracings of the truss are also curved to give motorists the impression of driving under a series of arches as they travel over the bridge. [HAER_data] 

I got a portal view after reading about the sway bracings.

Street View, Jul 2022

I noticed that ODOT has recently done some needed maintenance. HistoricBridges explains: "As of 2018, this bridge had received an extensive rehabilitation of its concrete arch spans. In 2019, a three year project to repaint the bridge will take place."

Street View, May 2018

HistoricBridges
Main span length: 793' (241.7m)

 

Love oregon posted
McCullough Bridge in the fog a couple weeks ago.
Bridges Now and Then shared

 

Rey Deleon commented on the above share
It was a fun bridge to blast and paint I must admit.

 

Phil block posted
Conde McCullough Memorial Bridge

Engineering News-Record

HistoricBridges, 1 of several construction photos

Even the piers have an aesthetic touch.

OregonsAdventureCoast

A source indicated that pedestrians can use the bridge. The portal views made me wonder because the sidewalks are so narrow, and there is no barrier between the pedestrian and vehicular traffic. But this photo shows that it does support pedestrian traffic. I did see in another portal view that the speed limit is 35mph.

HAER ORE,6-NOBE,1--15
15. Detail, Art Deco motifs on stairway at south abutment

When completed, it was the longest bridge in the state highway system. The navigation channel is 793' (243m) wide with a clearance of 150' (45.7m). [OregonEncyclopedia]