Bridge Shaft

The shaft houses equipment used to measure the height of the Ohio River. A float and a counterweight are attached by steel tape to a pulley wheel. The wheel's movement clockwise, or counterclockwise, determines if the river is rising or falling.

It's a relatively empty room. What's going to be inside is a small electronic box that collects the data from the instrument itself which is measuring the water level.

The shaft and the measuring equipment were installed in 1946. They were added to the north tower because it's farther from the mouth of the Licking River.

The data is transmitted via satellite to a server in North Dakota, which puts the information on the world wide web. The data is also sent to the National Weather Service office in Wilmington, Ohio.

See https://www.wvxu.org/podcast/oki-wanna-know/2023-01-11/whats-in-shaft-roebling-suspension-bridge? for moee