Historic bridges represent a cultural resource as well as work of art. Many federal and state agencies recognize the importance of preserving, relocating, restoring and rehabilitating bridges.
The Office of Environmental Services Cultural Resources staff works closely with federal programs and preservation groups to ensure that Ohio's bridges are considered and protected under the National Historic Preservation Act. The following programs and initiatives support ODOT's commitment to historic bridges preservation, restoration, relocation and rehabilitation.
Bridge Status
The recently updated Historic Bridge List contains the 484 historic bridges in ODOT's Historic Bridge Inventory Database that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places or determined eligible for the National Register of Historic Places ("Eligible") based on the results of The Ohio DOT Historic Bridge Summary Tables Survey Forms for Eligible/NR Listed Bridges, accepted by ODOT, the Federal Highway Administration and The Ohio State Historic Preservation Office on April 28, 2010.
Reusable Bridges
In keeping with the national effort to preserve historic bridges, ODOT has a designated list of bridges available for reuse. Vist the Historic and Other Truss Bridges Available for Reuse page to learn more about these bridges and obtain contact information.
Buckeye Assets
BuckeyeAssets is a new ODOT application that uses an interactive map, much like Buckeye Traffic, to deliver real-time information about Ohio's historic bridges. Users choose search criteria, update the map, and then right click on pinpoint images to see a listing of bridges within a 2-mile radius of where they clicked. Information, including pictures, is delivered via a window and downloadable as a PDF.
National Historic Covered Bridge Preservation Program
This program was established by Section 1224 of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA21). The program provides funding to assist the States in their efforts to preserve, rehabilitate, or restore the Nation's historic covered bridges. For the purposes of this program, the term "historic covered bridge" means a covered bridge that is listed or eligible for listing on the National Register for Historic Places. Click here to learn more about this FHWA program.