The Dublin Link

The Dublin Link

The Dublin Link, or “The Link,” stretches 760 feet from end to end, spanning the Scioto River. It is the longest single-tower S-shaped suspension bridge in the world. The deck passes through the keyhole of the main tower, which is 169 feet tall.

This landmark represents connectivity and was envisioned for decades. In 2007, Dublin City Council approved the City’s Community Plan, which included the development of a pedestrian bridge linking the east and west sides of the river. In 2013, Council approved an updated Community Plan and five-year Capital Improvements Program, which for the first time reserved funding for the bridge and waterfront park. Construction of the bridge began in 2017 and took three years.

The Link was originally scheduled to open with a dedication and grand illumination on March 13, 2020, but the community celebration was postponed due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, which prompted public health orders limiting public gatherings. The Link opened quietly on March 17, 2020, providing an outdoor destination for residents and visitors to enjoy safely during the pandemic and beyond. It was officially dedicated on March 11, 2022.

Bridge Lighting Plan

Below is a partial list of days that are reserved each year for use by the City of Dublin and requests will not be accepted during any of these dates/times:

  • All national holidays
  • St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations
  • Light Ohio Blue Campaign
  • the Memorial Tournament
  • Dublin Irish Festival
  • Patriots Day
  • Hanukkah
  • Kwanzaa

The actual lighting dates will change each year depending on the circumstances surrounding each event/celebration. The yearly schedule will be posted on Dublin’s website. When special lighting patterns are not in service, the bridge will remain lit using an all-white scheme.

Lighting the Link

The City of Dublin supports and celebrates initiatives and causes that align with the City’s values and vision. By lighting the Dublin Link, the City can visually demonstrate the City’s support and promote awareness for various initiatives that impact our community. The following lighting schemes/program will help us celebrate together and build community spirit in Dublin.

The Dublin Link is equipped with a multi-color LED lighting system that illuminates several elements of the bridge including the hanger cables, upper and lower keyhole, and the pylon needle and base.

Use the calendar to see when The Link will change colors. Share your photos of the illuminated bridge using #TheDublinLink!

2024 Lighting Schedule

Jan. 1
New Year’s Day
Red, white and blue

Jan. 15
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Red, white and blue

Jan. 26
National School Choice Week
Red and yellow

Feb. 2
National Wear Red Day and Go Red for Women for heart disease
Red

Feb. 10
First Day of Lunar New Year
Red and gold

Feb. 14
Valentine’s Day
Pink

Feb. 15
International Angelman Day
Blue

Feb. 19
Presidents Day
Red, white and blue

Feb. 24
Ukraine Remembrance
Yellow and blue

Feb. 29
Rare Disease Day
Pink and blue

March 1
Dress in Blue Day for Colorectal Cancer Awareness
Dark blue

March 8-9
St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Green

March 10
First Night of Ramadan
Green and white

March 12
National Equal Pay Day
Red

March 16-17
St. Patrick’s Day 
Green

March 24
Holi
Rainbow

March 30-31
Easter
White and yellow

April 1
Royal Canadian Air Force Centennial 
Blue

April 11
World Parkinson’s Day
Blue

April 22
First Night of Passover
Red, green, blue and white

April 24
National Crime Victims’ Right Week
Purple

April 29
World Wish Day
Blue

May 1
Light Up Green for Mental Health Month
Green

May 4
Ehlers-Danlos (EDS) and hypermobility spectrum disorder (HSD) Awareness Month
Orange

May 6
National Nurses Day
Blue

May 15
Peace Officers Memorial Day
Blue

May 17
Neurofibromatosis (NF) Awareness Day
Blue and green

May 20
National Eosinophil Awareness Week
Purple

May 24-26
Dublin Schools High School graduation
Green and white

May 27
Memorial Day
Red, white and blue

June 3-9
the Memorial Tournament
Green and white

June 14
Flag Day
Red, white and blue

June 19
Juneteenth
Red, white, blue, green and yellow 

June 23-24
Pride Celebration
Rainbow

July 1
Sarcoma Awareness Month
Yellow

July 4
Independence Day
Blue, green, red, yellow

July 26
2024 Olympics Opening Ceremonies
Red, white and blue

Aug. 1-4
Dublin Irish Festival
Green and white

Aug. 7
Purple Heart Day
Purple and white

Sept. 1
Ovarian Cancer Awareness and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) Awareness
Teal

Sept. 2
Labor Day
Red, white and blue

Sept. 11
9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance
Red, white and blue

Oct. 31
Halloween
Orange, purple and grey

Nov. 1
Diwali
Orange and purple

Nov. 2
Light the World in Teal for Alzheimer’s Awareness
Teal

Nov. 11
Veterans Day
Red, white and blue

Nov. 28
Thanksgiving
Orange, yellow and burgundy

Dec. 24-25
Christmas
Green, white and red

Dec. 26-27
Hanukkah
Blue and white

Dec. 28-29
Kwanzaa
Red, white and green

Awards

The Dublin Link has been recognized with numerous awards since its completion in 2020, including the following:

2021 Project of the Year
American Society of Highway Engineers (ASHE) Great Lakes Region

Best Bridge/Highway Project Award, 2020
Engineering News-Record (ENR), Midwest

Eugene C. Figg Jr. Medal 2021
International bridge Conference Awards (IBC)

No. 2 in Top 10 Bridges List, 2020
Roads and Bridges

Outstanding Project Award, New Bridges and Transportation Structures, 2020
National Council of Structural Engineers Association (NCSEA)

Outstanding Special Purpose Bridge Award 2020
Association for Bridge Construction and Design Ohio Chapter (ABCD)

Project of the Year Award, Green Design, 2019
SLAG Cement Association (SCA)

Project of the Year Award, 2021
Central Ohio American Society of Highway Engineers

SoCal Illumination Award of Merit- Exterior, 2021
IES Los Angeles and IES Orange County

Transportation Project of the Year Award, 2020
Engineers’ Society of Western Pennsylvania (ESWP)

The Dublin Link Fun Facts

  • The world’s single tower S-shaped suspension bridge
  • Main tower height of 169 feet – OSU Stadium press box (183 feet tall)
  • Suspension span of 500 feet long – nearly 2 football fields
  • Total deck length – 760 feet long
  • 860,000 pounds (430 tons) of structural steel – weight of a loaded 747 airplane or 355 OSU victory bells
  • 350,000 pounds (175 tons) of reinforcing steel – weight of 100 mid-size cars or 145 OSU victory bells (2,420 pounds)
  • 1,600 cy of concrete – amount of concrete to build 32 new single family houses (foundations and driveway – 50 cy per house)
  • Two suspension cables (120mm diameter) – tensile force in cable of 3,250,000 lbs. each – this force is the weight of 500 adult African Bush Elephants (6.5 tons each)
  • Structural Steel was fabricated in Tampa, Florida
  • Main and Hanger suspension cables were fabricated in Milano, Italy
  • Cables were tested in Braunschweig and Bochum Germany

About the Project

The bridge is 760-foot total length by 14 feet wide. The bridge deck is “S” shaped with a radius of 500 foot and is anchored into the earth at the embankments. Four 65-foot approach spans lead to a 500-foot long suspension span. The deck passes through the “keyhole” of the main tower which is 169 feet tall. The bridge is the centerpiece of the Bridge Street development, which encompasses the Historic District, Bridge Park and two plazas on either side of the The Link.

In early 2017, the City contracted with Kokosing Construction for a cost of $22,603,889 for the construction of the pedestrian bridge. The bridge is the centerpiece of the Bridge Street development, which encompasses the Historic District, Bridge Park and two plazas on either side of the The Link.

Project Snapshot

Timeline:

Construction 2017 – 2019.

Developer:

City of Dublin

Project Team:

Architect: endrestudio
Engineer of Record: T.Y.Lin International
Contractor: Kokosing Construction Company

Public Records Request Overview

In order to support faster response and better tracking of requests, the City of Dublin uses JustFOIA to collect, respond to and manage public information requests.

Why JustFOIA?

JustFOIA is a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) online application that helps streamline the open records request process for the community and improve efficiencies in getting requested information quickly and accurately.

The application lets community members submit requests for all city records, including police reports. Commonly requested information includes accident reports, copies of resolutions and body-camera video.

Submit a Public Records Request

Mission

We are and always have been a proud local democracy. In our service, we strive to provide the best quality of life and environment in which our residents and businesses can thrive. We seek to ally our proud traditions with the best innovations of the future.

Vision

Dublin, Ohio, is the most sustainable, connected and resilient global city of choice.

Core Values

Integrity, Respect, Communication, Teamwork, Accountability, Positive Attitude & Dedication to Service.

The City of Dublin operates under a set of seven key core values: integrity, respect, communication, teamwork, accountability, positive attitude and dedication to service. Staff members use these seven values as the basis for daily decision-making, including the decisions that go into the budget process.

  • Integrity. We are open and honest. We honor our commitments to the community and each other. Our actions are consistent with what we say.
  • Respect. We treat our coworkers and members of the community with courtesy and dignity. We embrace diversity and acknowledge the needs, responsibilities and inherent worth of each individual.
  • Communication. We maintain an environment in which employees feel free to share ideas and information. We promote open interaction throughout the organization to ensure knowledge and understanding among all employees and our community.
  • Teamwork. We create a climate in which all employees work together and support the individual talents and contributions of team members. We celebrate successes and see mistakes as opportunities for growth; we will never willingly let a member of our team fail.
  • Accountability. We are responsible to our community and each other for our personal and organizational decisions, actions and performance results. We are committed stewards of our City’s assets and resources.
  • Positive Attitude. We focus our efforts on constructive behavior, attitudes and solutions. We promote an environment that people love going to every day – a place where each individual can find a sense of belonging, inspiration, enjoyment and meaning.
  • Dedication to Service. We pursue innovation and continuous improvement in all we do. We are committed to efficient, effective and responsive service delivery that makes a difference in the lives of those we serve.

Leadership Philosophy

We are members of an organization that succeeds because of teamwork, dedication, diversity and the innovative spirit of all of   our members. Together, we build a culture of trust, service, mutual respect, inclusion and open communication. We hold ourselves mutually accountable to promote and sustain continuous learning and to develop the learning potential that exists in every member of our team.

City Code

The complete Dublin City Code is available online at American Legal City Ordinance website. Information staff at the Dublin branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library are available to help navigate this website.

Revised Charter of Dublin, Ohio

This Revised Charter, as adopted on March 19, 1996, became effective on July 4, 1996.

Zoning Code

The Zoning Code for Dublin is Chapter 153 of the Dublin Code of Ordinances. The Zoning Code sets land development requirements and establishes different uses within individual districts. Zoning regulations address the physical development of a site, such as building height, lot requirements, setbacks from lot lines, minimum numbers of parking spaces, sign types and sizes, and other related regulations.

City Hall
5555 Perimeter Dr.
Dublin, Ohio 43017

Phone:
614.410.4400

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