EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was originally published on Richland Source in 2015.
When Mansfield was first laid out in its initial shape in 1808, the southwest corner of town ended at the top of a hill, and Mulberry Street stopped there because of the deep gully where Ritter’s Run flowed.
It wasn’t until 1909 that traffic could finally travel south on Mulberry, when a steel and asphalt bridge-like viaduct was built above the steep hillside.
By 1966 the city recognized that the Mulberry Street viaduct was in shaky condition, alarmingly rusted and too narrow for modern cars. It took years of arguing before any action could be taken and in June of 1968 a heavy rain left the structure unsafe and condemned.
The new earth bank viaduct was opened for traffic in 1969.
