{"nrhp_refnum":"88000870","name":"Meyers, Albertus L., Bridge","other_names":[],"category":"structure","location":{"address":"Eighth St. over Little Lehigh and Railroad Sts.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Allentown","county":"Lehigh County","state":"PA","lat":40.59604112900007,"lon":-75.47069971099995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1988-06-22","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Engineering"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A reinforced concrete open-spandrel arch bridge in Allentown, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, also known as the Eighth Street Bridge, carrying vehicular traffic over the Little Lehigh, railroad and streets. It has nine main arches of 120 feet each and eight approach spans of 525 feet each, for an overall length of 2,650 feet.","why_significant":"The form argues the bridge is an important long-span open-spandrel bridge and the earliest monumental concrete bridge in the nomination. It is described as the earliest multiple-span open-spandrel arch bridge among Pennsylvania Department of Transportation-owned bridges. It was built as a toll bridge for a trolley company and is said to have been the longest and highest reinforced concrete bridge in the world at the time of construction.","narrative":"Built in 1913 across the Little Lehigh, railroad and city streets in Allentown, the Meyers Bridge is a reinforced concrete open-spandrel arch structure, also known as the Eighth Street Bridge. Its nine main arches each span 120 feet, and eight approach spans of 525 feet each bring the total length to 2,650 feet. Each thin arch supports nine smaller spandrel arches, and the ornamental detailing of its piers and light posts adds to its appearance. The bridge was conceived and begun in 1900 and was designed by B.H. Davis of New York, with McArthur Brothers as builder. It was first built as a toll bridge for a trolley company, carrying trolleys and other vehicles. When completed it was said to be the longest and highest reinforced concrete bridge in the world. It is regarded as an important early example of progressive concrete design and construction. The State highway department bought it in the 1930s, and the roadway was widened in 1973.","period_of_significance":"1913","architect_builder":"B.H. Davis of New York (designer/engineer); McArthur Brothers (builder/contractor); Allentown Bridge Company","architectural_style":null,"criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Altered; widened in 1973 and purchased by the State highway department in the 1930s. Currently used for vehicular traffic.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:11:36.37159-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_PA/88000870.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/88000870/88bb9c2def-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/88000870/88bb9c2def-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":null,"credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2007_-_South_Eighth_Street_Viaduct.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Unknown author</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2007_-_South_Eighth_Street_Viaduct.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71993320","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albertus_L._Meyers_Bridge","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4712292"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/pennsylvania/lehigh-county/meyers-albertus-l-bridge-88000870/"}