c.1938? From OMCA Oakland Tribune collection 2
The Viaquadrome, or "Bridge of Great Beauty," was a proposed bridge across Lake Merritt. It was designed by Joseph Strauss, who was later chief engineer for the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge. He apparently liked the idea so much he designed it twice, once in 1925, and again in 1938.
Parts of this page were originally on the Unbuilt Oakland page.
1925
1925 1
Strauss presented his plan to a meeting of "business and professional men" in August 1925. The bridge would go from 19th Street in a straight line across the lake to East 18th Street. The 4 lanes of traffic would rise to 25' above the water to permit the passage of boats. It would include removable grandstands which could accommodate 20,000 people. 1 Strauss spoke again about the plans at the Parkway Theater in December. The Oakland Post Enquirer published a drawing. 1
Strauss may have been inspired by the proposal of commissioner of streets, William Baccus. In July 1925, Baccus suggested an ornamental $2,000,000 bridge to help relieve traffic congestion on the 12th Street Dam. But that was far from the first proposed bridge across Lake Merritt; a bridge at 14th Street was proposed in1901.
A very similar, but not identical drawing was supposedly published c.1938 (hereafter referred to as the "c.1938 version"). One of the notable differences is that the side pedestrian bridge over to Adams Point is level in the c. 1938 version, but rises slowly in the 1925 version to a pedestrian overpass.
It's unclear when the c.1938 version was first published. The Tribune also reported on the Viaquadrome in 1925, but they don't seem to have published any drawing then. 3
The c.1938 version was published in 1986. Librarian Bill Sturm assembled a display at the Oakland History Room, "The Oakland That Wasn't." A Tribune article about the display included the c.1938 version. The display also included some of the other "unbuilt" items that are now listed on the Unbuilt Oakland page. 5
1938
1938 4
So what was published in 1938? The Oakland Post Enquirer published an article about Joseph Strauss's plan to build a bridge across Lake Merritt, which he had created not long before his death in 1938.
The 1938 bridge design has some similarities with his 1925 design: 4 lanes of traffic going from 19th St. to East 18th Street; clearance for boats to pass under. But there's no side pedestrian bridge to Adams Point, and each pier is ornamented with an Art Deco-style light on top.
Links and References
- Bridge Across Lake Merritt Projected Oakland Post Enquirer August 28, 1925 (p2)
- Unbuilt Bridges OMCA Oakland Standard May 24, 2012 (via archive.org)
- Move Starts For $1,500,000 Bridge At Lake Merritt Oakland Tribune August 28, 1925
- Jos. B. Strauss Planned Bridge Of Great Beauty for Oakland Oakland Post Enquirer May 30, 1938
- Visions good and bad of the Oakland that could have been Oakland Tribune September 15, 1986
