The Port Clinton Drawbridge - Linda Higgins

If you’ve ever had to wait awhile for the light to change while heading west out of Port Clinton on Rt. 163, you may have had some questions about the reason for the wait. It might help to know that travelers along that stretch have had a similar wait for many decades.

In the early days the river was crossed by ferries, then a pontoon-style structure was used until a narrow wood bridge was built across the river. The bascule bridge (drawbridge) was built on the same site as the last wood and iron wagon bridge, which was barely wide enough for two wagons or buggies to pass.

The construction of the Port Clinton drawbridge, which connects the east and west sides of the town along State Route 163, was begun in 1932. The old New York Central bridge was used for diverted traffic during construction. The new bridge cost $195,000, half of that amount contributed by the federal government, $39,000 by Ohio, and the rest by Ottawa County.

The bridge was dedicated and open for traffic on August 5, 1933. The mayor at that time, Alfred J. Davids, was the featured speaker. In attendance were the mayors of Cleveland, Toledo, Lorain, and Sandusky, as well as governors White of Ohio and Comstock of Michigan, all representing locations linked to Ohio Route 2, now State Route 163. The last surviving Civil War veteran of Ottawa County, Gabriel DuBrie, cut the ceremonial ribbon.

Architect Josephine Powers designed the bridge. She received her degree in architecture from Columbia University, then opened an office with Marion Hindman in Columbus in 1931. When she later joined the State Highway Department’s Bridge Bureau, she supervised and designed all bridge-related architecture.

Within a few years of its construction, the bridge received recognition for several reasons; its Art Deco style and the tall columns holding light fixtures and stop lights were especially noteworthy. It was designated an Ohio historical bridge. It was the first double bascule bridge in Ohio, and it was also the first in the state to use welded steel-plate flooring, or battleship deck.

Only four bascule bridges are believed to exist in Ohio. Bascule bridges, using counterweights to balance and swing one or two leaves, were used by the Egyptians thousands of years ago, evolving into the “modern” version in the mid-nineteenth century. Steam power then allowed long, heavy spans to be moved efficiently. The bridge decks will not fall while raised because of a backup braking mechanism.

Until 1958 the lift numbers were not recorded regularly. Bridge Tender Tom Canby was in charge of lifts at that time, and when that boating season ended he had recorded 568 openings. Canby said that before the Rt. 2 bypass opened the number of lifts caused serious traffic jams extending into downtown Port Clinton. New rules were implemented and these are updated as required by changes in flow under and over the bridge on the hour and half hour.

In 1997, a small house used as the bridge tenders’ dwelling was torn down, its having been used last as housing in the late 80s. When the bridge was mechanized, the tenders were able to live in their own homes.

Maintenance is state-funded because the bridge is part of State Route 163. Regular safety maintenance was sufficient for many years, but in 2016 major renovation became necessary. The process took much longer than expected, and the extended delays made it difficult for commuters and businesses alike. Because Port Clinton had no fire houses on the other side of the river, several firemen who lived on that end of town were on call during the reconstruction, and one fire truck was housed in that area for the duration.

The Port Clinton drawbridge is under the control of the Ohio Department of Transportation, but is maintained by the Ottawa County Engineering Department. Perhaps some of this information will help the next time our drawbridge interferes with your day. Or perhaps not!