The Third Street Bridge, nicknamed the “Peace Bridge” by locals, literally bridges a city divided by the Great Miami River and history. Throughout the structure, the story of the unusual relationship between the African American poet laureate, Paul Laurence Dunbar, and his grade school friends, the Wright Brothers is told. Poetic quotes from Dunbar and civil rights leader, Martin Luther King, Jr., adorn the abutment walls and pedestrian access ramps, and a relief of the Selma March led by Dr. King, which the Dayton community re-enacts annually by marching across the Peace Bridge and into the downtown, is featured on the bridge pier walls. Two informational entablatures are stationed and each of the four overlooks along the bridge, displaying information about the history of Dayton, the Civil Rights Movement in Dayton, the women who shaped Dayton’s history, the Tuskegee Airmen, Paul Laurence Dunbar, the Wright Brothers, Dayton’s MLK Day celebrations, and the history of funk music in Dayton. QR codes next to each entablature can be scanned by pedestrians to learn more about any of these subjects.
For this Design/Build project, CDR teamed with Stantec to honor the historic structure within the new bridge’s graceful lines and Italian Renaissance architectural style seen in the large bracket-inspired pier design and balustrade, a style that is also prominent throughout the City of Dayton.
Project Awards:
- 2021 “All Ohio” Award for Outstanding Short Span Roadway Bridge by Association for Bridge Construction & Design (ABCD)
