Y BRIDGE IN ZANESVILLE—

Early settlers crossed the Muskingum River in Zanesville by ferries in 1797. They were fairly primitive—planks secured to canoes.

Today, local folks seem amused to learn you are visiting their town just because of their almost famous river crossing.

Here's some stuff that happened in between:

The first bridge in Zanesville was built in 1813. It was made in the shape of a “Y” because it had to cross both the Licking Creek (left in the photo) and the Muskingum. It was constructed of wooden trestles and stone with logs and planks bolted to the trestles.

Foot passengers in those days paid 3 cents to cross the bridge. A horse and a rider cost 12 ½ cents.

History records simply, that bridge “...fell into the river” and was replaced in 1819 by another of the Y shape. About 1830, the National Road, a narrow ribbon of crushed limestone, reached Zanesville from Cumberland, MD and continued to the West.

That bridge was weakened 13 years later when winter flood waters slammed thick ice against it.

It was reinforced in the early 1830s but it was not strong enough to handle the heavy traffic that flowed along the National Road. While that bridge was being further reinforced it fell into the river.

A third Y bridge was built on the site in 1832 and stood until 1900.

The fourth Y bridge was opened in 1902. Locals boasted it was the only Y bridge in the world and liked to remind folks they had a bridge you could cross and still be on the same side of the river from which you started.

That bridge was condemned in 1979 and demolished. It was later discovered only part of that bridge needed replaced but it was then too late. The old bridge was gone.

In 1984 Democrats announced the official celebration opening the newest bridge would be presided over by the head of The Ohio Department of Transportation, substituting for then governor Richard Celeste who had a previous commitment.

Republicans, not to be outdone on that celebratory morning, launched a parade down Main St., led by former governor James Rhodes, and cut the first ribbon.

Soon thereafter, ODOT officials found defective expansion joints in this fifth Y bridge and the final ceremony heralding the actual opening of the bridge was held a month later.

Today we know the National Road as US Route 40 which countinues to cross Zanesville's Y bridge on its long, coast-to-coast trek.

And today, amazingly, there are no tolls.
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Link:  www.coz.org/about.cfm
Photo:  www.ohiotraveler.com/bizarre 
...with appreciation to both sources.