US Rt 23 Overpass, Pickaway County Ohio (north of Circleville)

Sun Oct 16 21:41:30 EDT 2016

Thanks Alex, great information.  This is the first I’ve seen a documents like these; the discussion of how the costs were split up was very interesting.

A couple of things stood out in the October, 1901 agreement with Scioto Valley Traction:
The first paragraph (beyond the Whereases) mentions - directly and indirectly - that the SVT would have two tracks at this point.  The SVT was a double track railroad from South Columbus to Obetz; apparently they were bullish about extending that at some point further south.
The N&W raised their track nine feet and SVT excavated ten feet down to get the clearance needed for the under crossing.  When approaching the under crossing on US 23 from the south, the road is dead level; today you would not assume the road (and SVT ROW) would have had to be lowered at all (see the 1933 ODOT photo linked previously for an illustration of this).  The roadway does ascend very positively once under the C&O bridge.  

The concrete span / tunnel on the railroad east end of the structure is still an unknown.  I’ve updated my points from earlier below (for the record).  My apologies for the list for this extremely local information; perhaps it will be useful to someone when searching the mailing list archives in the future.

Known items, updated with new information from the ICC documents and under crossing agreement from the links provided by Alex Schust:
A 1914 SVT right of way provided by Alex Campbell dates the Agreement for crossing as 1901.  The survey shows the N&W as a single track railroad.  I’m assuming it was drawn prior to the 1911 double tracking, and not revised (this is a bit of a puzzle since the only date anywhere on this document is 1914). A snip from this survey is attached for reference.
The bridge was built to accommodate a request from the SVT for an under crossing at that point.  This agreement was reached in 1901. US 23 (at that time known as Ritts road crossing) is mentioned only as identifying place-name, not as being a beneficiary of the undercrossing.  In addition, by agreement, the entire cost was picked up by SVT and N&W.  Apparently local interests in having a roadway undercrossing at this point were nil and county / township governments were passive beneficiaries of this improvement.
A design plan for substructure / masonry for an under crossing at this location was completed in 1888, per references in the ICC Valuation.  These plans were used during the construction of bridge 1137A in 1902 (though possibly modified to accommodate SVT’s clearance needs) 
The under crossing agreement with the SVT (attached to the ICC valuation) describes the SVT as having two tracks (this explains the unused third steel span that I had previously questioned the use of).  This second SVT track was never built.
Alex Schust’s book “Norfolk and Western in Ohio” lists a three span, single track, half-through plate bridge being constructed in 1902 (Bridge 1137A). 
ICC Valuation (and related documents) provided by Alex Schust dated 3/13/20 describes no changes from the as-constructed details; i.e., no concrete slab-span at that date.
Masonry for this single track bridge was built to accommodate future double tracking.
Superstructure for the second track was added in 1910. 
The concrete slab-span was built sometime after the ICC Inventory date of 3/13/1920 and the ODOT (Ohio Dept of Transportation) photo date of 1933.  The latter shows the bridge in the configuration that it is still in today.  
The north abutment has 1948 cast into it.

My remaining working assumptions follow.
Concrete slab span/tunnel was added between 1921 and 1933.  
One likely time date would be the late twenties, as part of the C&O Northern construction.  The alignment of this tunnel with the roadway undercrossing of the C&O, and the additional excavation that would have been required for this support this conjecture.
A less-likely date would be the early 1930’s using the assumption that the ODOT photo is a post-project construction photo and that this part of the bridge is not documented in Alex Schust’s book, which covers 1890-1930. 
N&W rebuilt or strengthened the west abutment in 1948, encasing or replacing the original masonry abutment.  ICC Inventory and a description of the bridge’s substructure confirms that the original abutments were masonry.
The original east abutment was either replaced with a concrete pier during the span/tunnel construction, or it was encased in concrete and repurposed as a pier at that time.

ICC / SVT Agreement / Construction details (Alex Schust)
http://www.nwhs.org/mailinglist/2016/20161016.168.JPG <http://www.nwhs.org/mailinglist/2016/20161016.168.JPG>
http://www.nwhs.org/mailinglist/2016/20161016.170.JPG <http://www.nwhs.org/mailinglist/2016/20161016.170.JPG>
http://www.nwhs.org/mailinglist/2016/20161016.172.JPG <http://www.nwhs.org/mailinglist/2016/20161016.172.JPG>
http://www.nwhs.org/mailinglist/2016/20161016.175.JPG <http://www.nwhs.org/mailinglist/2016/20161016.175.JPG>
Location (Google Map):

https://www.google.com/maps/search/ritts+crossing/@39.6558593,-82.9573495,151m/data=!3m1!1e3 <https://www.google.com/maps/search/ritts+crossing/@39.6558593,-82.9573495,151m/data=%213m1%211e3> 

1933 ODOT photo. Looking north

http://www.odotonline.org/photoArchive/PhotoArchiveImages/Large/pickrail33.jpg <http://www.odotonline.org/photoArchive/PhotoArchiveImages/Large/pickrail33.jpg>
Related photo looking south, N&W bridge is beyond the C&O (1938, context photo only)

http://www.shorpy.com/node/2330?size=_original <http://www.shorpy.com/node/2330?size=_original>

2015 Photos of the site:
http://www.nwhs.org/mailinglist/2016/20161014.01.jpg <http://www.nwhs.org/mailinglist/2016/20161014.01.jpg>
http://www.nwhs.org/mailinglist/2016/20161014.02.jpg <http://www.nwhs.org/mailinglist/2016/20161014.02.jpg>
http://www.nwhs.org/mailinglist/2016/20161014.03.jpg <http://www.nwhs.org/mailinglist/2016/20161014.03.jpg>
http://www.nwhs.org/mailinglist/2016/20161014.04.jpg <http://www.nwhs.org/mailinglist/2016/20161014.04.jpg>

On Oct 16, 2016, at 8:59 AM, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:

Information pertaining to Bridge No. 1137A

Alex Schust

Moderator:

http://www.nwhs.org/mailinglist/2016/20161016.168.JPG <http://www.nwhs.org/mailinglist/2016/20161016.168.JPG>
http://www.nwhs.org/mailinglist/2016/20161016.170.JPG <http://www.nwhs.org/mailinglist/2016/20161016.170.JPG>
http://www.nwhs.org/mailinglist/2016/20161016.172.JPG <http://www.nwhs.org/mailinglist/2016/20161016.172.JPG>
http://www.nwhs.org/mailinglist/2016/20161016.175.JPG <http://www.nwhs.org/mailinglist/2016/20161016.175.JPG>

From: NW-Mailing-List [mailto:nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org <mailto:nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org>] On Behalf Of NW Mailing List via NW-Mailing-List
Sent: Friday, October 14, 2016 6:41 PM
To: NW Mailing List
Cc: NW Mailing List
Subject: Re: US Rt 23 Overpass, Pickaway County Ohio (north of Circleville)

Since sending the email below, I came across an additional two paragraphs on page 66 of “Norfolk and Western in Ohio" that I’d previously overlooked.  

One paragraph refers to the US23 overpass (bridge 1137A) specifically, stating that it was built after a contract was signed with the SVT "for an under grade crossing". This seems to confirm my first working assumption.

The other relevant paragraph refers to bridge upgrades in general, stating that bridge abutments re-built in 1902-1903 “were widened to accept a double track” and that “in many cases, the girders for a second track” weren’t placed until 1909-1910.  

Another thing that occurred to me after sending the previous email is that the book covers the years 1890-1930.  Given that the tunnel extension of the US 23 overpass isn’t listed in the bridges table of the book, but is shown in the 1933 ODOT photo, my working assumption #4 is that this span was built between those two dates.

I’ll send a note to the archives for some research assistance if no one on this list has additional detail.  I’d love to get a drawing of this thing.

Matt Goodman

Columbus, Ohio

On Oct 14, 2016, at 6:48 AM, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org <mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>> wrote:

All, 

A few miles north of Circleville, Ohio, at a place called Ritts Crossing, the N&W had (and still has) an overpass over “old” US Rt. 23.  “New” 23, a four lane 1950’s-era bypass of Circleville, separates from it’s original alignment at this location, staying to the east of the railroad.  

The N&W crosses the highway at a very shallow angle on a unique hybrid four-span structure.  The first span is a concrete slab affair which -  due the low angle of the crossing - is effectively a tunnel, followed by a three span open deck through-girder bridge.  The tunnel’s east wall  doubles as a pier / abutment for the steel spans. The southbound lane of US 23 passes through this tunnel with the pier separating it from the northbound lane which passes under the first of the three girder spans. The Scioto Valley Traction interurban line, which ran alongside the west side of the N&W north of this point, descended to US 23’s level and crossed under the second girder span to follow 23 into Circleville.  The function of the third and final span is unclear to me.  The intermediate steel spans are supported by free-standing steel columns. 

The tunnel component has always puzzled me, and I’m looking for assistance in working it out. To my eye, the steel section had a long enough span to accommodate the road and interurban traffic.

Here’s what I know about this bridge to help set some boundaries.

A 1914 SVT right of way provided by Alex Campbell dates the Agreement for crossing as 1901.  The survey shows the N&W as a single track railroad.  I’m assuming it was drawn prior to the 1911 double tracking, and not revised (this is a bit of a puzzle since the only date anywhere on this document is 1914). A snip from this survey is attached for reference.
Alex Schust’s book “Norfolk and Western in Ohio” lists a three span, half-through plate bridge being constructed in 1902 (Bridge 1137A).
An ODOT (Ohio Department of Transportation) photo dated 1933 shows the bridge in the configuration that it is still in today.  I’ve provided a link to that photo (bonus - solid coal train is passing over it)
The north abutment has 1948 cast into it.

My working assumptions follow.

Given the completion of the SVT is 1904 and the crossing agreement date noted above, my working assumption is that the coming of the interurban led to the roadway / railroad separation.
Masonry for this single track bridge was built to accommodate future double tracking (this was done, very cleverly, for the Kinnikinnick viaduct). 
A parallel span for the second track added 1910-11
Concrete slab span/tunnel added between 1911 and 1933????
ODOT may have taken the 1933 photo to document a roadway improvement that included the addition of the concrete span.
N&W rebuilt or strengthened the north abutment in 1948, possibly encasing an existing masonry abutment.  A similar improvement was executed on the Kinnikinnick bridge at some point (abutment and pier footings were originally stone, are now concrete).

Any comments on the assumptions above are welcome, especially when and why was this tunnel put in (and why this particular construction method was chosen).  I’ve so far not located anything specific to this bridge in the archives.  I suspect that the ROW map is available that might provide additional clues, but I haven’t located it on the site yet (pointer welcome!)

Location:

https://www.google.com/maps/search/ritts+crossing/@39.6558593,-82.9573495,151m/data=!3m1!1e3 <https://www.google.com/maps/search/ritts+crossing/@39.6558593,-82.9573495,151m/data=%213m1%211e3>

1933 ODOT photo. Looking north

http://www.odotonline.org/photoArchive/PhotoArchiveImages/Large/pickrail33.jpg <http://www.odotonline.org/photoArchive/PhotoArchiveImages/Large/pickrail33.jpg>
Related photo looking south, N&W bridge is beyond the C&O (1938, context photo only)

http://www.shorpy.com/node/2330?size=_original <http://www.shorpy.com/node/2330?size=_original>

Attached photos

1914 SVT survey

2015 site photos (mine)

Matt Goodman

Moderator:
http://www.nwhs.org/mailinglist/2016/20161014.01.jpg <http://www.nwhs.org/mailinglist/2016/20161014.01.jpg>
http://www.nwhs.org/mailinglist/2016/20161014.02.jpg <http://www.nwhs.org/mailinglist/2016/20161014.02.jpg>
http://www.nwhs.org/mailinglist/2016/20161014.03.jpg <http://www.nwhs.org/mailinglist/2016/20161014.03.jpg>
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