Interurban Bridge

The Interurban Bridge, also known as the Ohio Electric Railroad Bridge. is a historic interurban railway reinforced concrete multiple arch bridge built in 1908 to span the Maumee River joining Lucas and Wood counties near Waterville, Ohio. The span was once the world's largest earth-filled reinforced concrete bridge. It is within the Farnsworth Metropark and is the river crossing of the park's trail system, which connects this park with Bend View and Providence Metroparks. One of the bridge's supports rests on the Roche de Boeuf, a historic Indian council rock, which was partially destroyed by the bridge's construction.Builder Lima-Toledo TractionThe bridge has been abandoned for many years. It was constructed by the Lima-Toledo Traction company, an interurban trolley line that ran primarily adjacent to the Baltimore and Ohio steam railroad from Toledo to Lima, Ohio, and by connection to Dayton. Many Ohio interurban lines struggled financially from inception. In an attempt to create operational efficiency under one management, the L-T was brought under lease control of the Ohio Electric corporation along with other Ohio interurbans to form a large widespread Ohio interurban network. All equipment was relettered and operated as the Ohio Electric. Financially the consolidation didn't work, and when the OE went bankrupt, the L-T returned to its former owners and operated as the Lima-Toledo Railroad and continued interurban service between Toledo and Lima.