Jeremiah Morrow Bridge Replacement Project

At more than 20 stories tall, Ohio’s Jeremiah Morrow Bridge garners attention and praise from motorists and the general public.

HNTB served as engineer-of-record to the Ohio Department of Transportation on the design of the Jeremiah Morrow Bridge project, which included the replacement of two parallel continuous trusses situated above the picturesque Little Miami River and Gorge on Interstate 71, north of Cincinnati.

At 2,252 feet long with main spans 239 feet above ground, the segmental concrete bridge is Ohio’s largest and tallest segmental bridge.

In addition to serving as engineer-of-record, HNTB also provided ongoing construction services to ODOT for the six-year project. The firm designed the replacement to be a variable-depth, six-span superstructure. Carrying 55-feet roadways, the variable depth superstructure is 25 feet deep at piers and 12 feet deep at mid-span.

The bridge features cast-in-place, balanced cantilever segmental construction to enhance construction safety while minimizing the environmental impact and preserving the natural beauty of the landscape.

The substructure consists of cast-in-place wall piers on footings supported on drilled shafts or driven steel piles. Smaller, drilled shafts support abutments. Additionally, the concrete box girder meets zero-tension design criteria for superior durability. Horizontal jacking balances the effects of creep, shrinkage and thermal shifts. Finally, spare use of bearings and expansion joints reduce long-term maintenance costs.

Now, the Jeremiah Morrow Bridge proves a safer, critical link for motorists traveling between Cincinnati and Columbus.