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Rediscover Veterans Memorial Bridge
The historic landmark will be open to the public with a free art installation for two days in June and Take a Hike Tours this summer.
The Veterans Memorial Bridge (also known as the Detroit-Superior Bridge) is an iconic bridge for its representation of local history, distinguished design, and critical connection over the industrial Flats along the Cuyahoga River Valley. The bridge carries vehicle, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic on its upper deck. The lower deck carried streetcar traffic until Cleveland streetcar service stopped in 1954.
Rediscover Veterans Memorial Bridge is a Cuyahoga County led initiative to reopen the historic streetcar level of the bridge to public access. The streetcar level has been well maintained and has been the site of public events over the past fifteen years. The lower deck of the bridge has potential for an adaptive reuse of the 3,000+ foot corridor for multimodal use, as well as unparalleled views of the industrial valley and Lake Erie.
In 2023, more than 9,000 residents and visitors enjoyed a weekend of activities to showcase and explore the possibilities for the underside of the Veterans Memorial Bridge.
Friday, June 23, 2023: The public participated in a conversation with local leaders and other residents about their vision for creating public access to the underside of the bridge.
Saturday, June 24, 2023: The Veterans Memorial Bridge and Subway Tour returned for one day only! This free, self-guided tour allowed visitors to experience the original streetcar station and tracks, unique views of the Cuyahoga River, Lake Erie, and downtown Cleveland. Visitors also explored ideas to reactivate the underside of the bridge for future pedestrian use and could provide feedback on how they believe the space could best serve residents and visitors.
Fun Facts:
- Construction started in the fall of 1912. The bridge was constructed from 2,123,300 cubic yards of concrete, 9,385,000 pounds of reinforcing steel and 8,500,000 pounds of structural steel for the steel arch.
- In 1918, the Veterans Memorial Bridge was celebrated as the world’s largest double-deck reinforced concrete bridge.
- In 1974, the Veterans Memorial Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- The bridge is 96 feet tall and 3,112 feet long, connecting Detroit and Superior Avenues over the Cuyahoga River Valley in downtown Cleveland.
- The bridge consists of 12 concrete arches, varying in size from 58 feet to 174 feet, and an overhead steel arch span that is 591 feet long and 196 feet tall.