The Purple Heart Bridge over the Maumee River on Clinton Street in Defiance received an award recently. The bridge was named the 2020 ‘Outstanding New Short Span’ during the annual awards presented at the Association for Bridge Construction and Design.
The Purple Heart Bridge in Defiance carries traffic for state routes 15, 18 and 66, and was dedicated in December 2019, when it opened to traffic.
The 8.3 million dollar project was built by Great Lakes Construction of Hinckley, Ohio. Defiance Mayor Mike McCann highlighted some of the bridge’s features, which is the only downtown crossing over the Maumee River, yet serves motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists. There are lookout areas and a path under the span; while other bridge aesthetics reflect historic aspects of the city, and previous bridges.