N. Washington St. viaduct: A history

TIFFIN --- Tiffin is home to a well-worn viaduct on North Washington St. It is never a surprise to a local to hear that a vehicle struck the viaduct or is stuck underneath it. The A-T spoke with local historian Mark Steinmetz and city leaders to learn more about the viaduct's history, why there are so many accidents and if more can be done to prevent accidents. The history Mark Steinmetz of Seneca County Historical Society began the viaduct's history by discussing the first railroad that reached Tiffin. The first railroad in Tiffin came in 1841 as the Mad River and Lake Erie railroad line, which started in Sandusky, crossing the river and passing over Washington and present-day N. Monroe streets. The railroad line then turned south towards Kenton and Springfield. "These trains were short in length and made infrequent trips to Tiffin, so when they blocked the crossing at Washington Street, it wasn't much of an issue," he explained. "However, by 1869, the railroad changed hands and expanded to become the Cincinnati, Sandusky and Cleveland Railroad and this increased the size of the trains and the number of visits through Tiffin." In 1872, Toledo, Tiffin and Eastern and B&O Railroads planned to put tracks and depots in Tiffin, crossing Washington St. in the same area. "It wasn't hard to predict that when these trains would stop to drop off freight and passengers, that they could block the street for 15 minutes or more," Steinmetz explained. "This would not only hold up traffic, but it also would make pedestrians walk through snow and mud a good distance around to the end of the trains and over the tracks. With ladies wearing long skirts to their ankles in the 1870s, this was especially frustrating for them." Later the same year, 157 signed and presented a petition to the city council that requested action "toward tunneling Washington Street under the railroads." Steinmetz said the estimated cost for this project in April 1873 was $4,000; however, the city council later decided the final cost to be $8,500, including a drain being dug "through the bedrock down to the river." One contractor received the contract for the project but quickly asked to leave. There was no progress until April 1874, when stonework started. The stonework was completed in August 1874. "But the tunnel was originally built with a massive center pier that was a major obstruction. Iron railings were installed along the walkways on both sides of the tunnel and by mid-September, the project was declared finished." This tunnel and others like it are known today as a viaduct. Death and injuries The tunnel did not solve all the issues residents had with the railroad crossing at Washington Street. One example Steinmetz provided was that workmen would use the bridge as a shortcut and one man, H. D. McCreevy, was killed when he was struck by a box that was being switched. "There were other injuries from train passengers falling off the bridge and into the tunnel while they transferring to a different train," he continued. "Trying to get from one depot to another could be dangerous because they only had the railroad cross-ties to walk on, and sometimes in the dark." B&O Railroad installed flooring on its tracks to help prevent injuries, however, the death and injuries did not stop. "On one evening, some Heidelberg students jumped aboard a slow-moving freight train heading west for a free trip across town. When they got to Washington Street, they jumped off forgetting about the tunnel, and they fell down onto the street below. " Although there was a storm drain under the tunnel, ice sometimes accumulated under the bridge. "County Treasurer Francis Wagner suffered head and shoulder injuries when the front wheels of his buggy broke through the ice, throwing him from his seat," Steinmetz said. "Two weeks later, George Michaels and his wife were thrown from their sleigh, when the front runners broke through the ice. George landed on his wife, breaking her arm. In 1877, Mrs. Thomas Cromer was riding in her buggy towards the tunnel when her horse suddenly became frightened. It bolted away, striking the buggy into the center pier of the bridge and slamming her into the rocks. She died a few days later." Improvements In 1879, a galvanized iron ceiling was installed under the bridge to prevent "water, oil and grease from the train engines from dripping down onto the vehicles and pedestrians under the bridge." The bridge continued to get improvements with "steel trusses and spans", allowing the center pier to be removed and heavier locomotives to cross. Improvements were made over the years, including adding a galvanized iron ceiling under the bridge in 1879. This was done to prevent water, oil, and grease from the train engines from dripping onto the vehicles and pedestrians under the bridge. Years later, the bridge continued to be improved with steel trusses and spans that allowed the removal of the center pier and allowed the heavier locomotives to safely cross the "tunnel," or what we call the "viaduct," today. The numbers Tiffin Police Chief David Pauly provided the A-T with data from 2019 to now regarding how many times the N. Washington Street viaduct has been hit by vehicles. 9 – 2019 10 – 2020 6 – 2021 8 – 2022 12 – 2023 2 – 2024 He also shared that drivers are typically cited for failure to obey a traffic control device when they strike the viaduct, as multiple signs are posted to warn drivers of the viaduct's height. Minimizing impacts "Although the railroad viaducts within our city are owned and maintained by the railroad, the city of Tiffin has made efforts to minimize the number of vehicular strikes at the North Washington Street railroad viaduct," said City Engineer Matt Watson. To deter truck traffic away from the viaduct, the city installed truck route signage. Additionally, the city has collaborated with the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) on signage to promote truck traffic to use SR 53 instead of SR 100 and SR 231. The collaboration resulted in signage for SR 100 and SR 231 along US 224 and signage for SR 100 being installed at SR 53. "Furthermore, in addition to the existing low clearance signage and flashing lights that are installed on the viaduct, the city of Tiffin also recently installed additional illuminated advanced warning signage north and south of the viaduct," Watson concluded. Some impacts could be attributed to GPS applications not indicating the viaduct area as having a low clearance height. City Administrator Nick Dutro said that he has personally submitted map updates to applications like Google Maps and Waze. "That certainly hasn't solved the issue," he said. "Regardless of the maps being used, this is a matter of drivers not paying attention." Pauly echoed similar sentiments: "I feel the city has done everything it can to ensure drivers are aware, including updating mapping applications. I'm at a loss as to what else the city can do. Drivers just need to read the signs and be more aware of their surroundings."