Charles Berry Bridge
Coordinates	41°28′11″N 82°10′32″W / 41.469762°N 82.175441°W / 41.469762; -82.175441
Carries	US 6
Crosses	Black River
Locale	Lorain, Ohio
Official name	Erie Avenue Bridge
Characteristics
Design	Bascule
Location

The Charles Berry Bridge is a double leaf bascule bridge in Lorain, Ohio along Erie Avenue / U.S. Route 6 (US 6) and spans the Black River.^[1][2]

The Erie Avenue Bridge (as it was formerly called)^[3] was built in 1940 by the Mount Vernon Bridge Company.^[4][5] It was in use for roughly 48 years before extensive rehabilitation was finished. The bridge was officially renamed in 1988 and dedicated in honor of Lorain native Charles J. Berry, a Marine who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during a minor grenade battle on Iwo Jima.^[6]

The bridge is thought to be the second longest bascule bridge in the world, with sources citing that it was considered the longest at the time of construction.^{[7][8][9][10]} Some sources argue that this designation is challenging to confirm because of the different styles of bascule bridges and methods in how they are measured,^[11] with conflicting information existing on which bridges are the longest and why from different sources.^[12][13][14]

The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) agreed in 1989 to cover funding for the bridge which saves Lorain county nearly half a million US dollars per year.^[15] The Charles Berry Bridge is one of only three bridges in Ohio that the ODOT will currently fund.^[16]

The Charles Berry Bridge is one of the primary methods of transportation between the east and west of Lorain across Black River along with the Lofton Henderson Memorial Bridge which is also named after a native of Lorain who was awarded the Navy Cross for his heroism at the historic Battle of Midway.

• The Ashtabula lift bridge, another bascule bridge in Ohio

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Charles Berry Bridge.

• Official website