| Key Facts |
| Bridge Name | Facility Carried / Feature Intersected | Location | Structure Type | Construction Date / Builder or Contractor |
| Aitken Road Bridge | Aitken Road Over Black River | Rural: Sanilac County, Michigan | Metal Stringer, Stationary | 1950 By: Unknown |
| Technical Facts |
| Structure Length | Roadway Width | Main Spans | Approach Spans |
| 128 Feet (39 Meters) | 20 Feet (6.1 Meters) | 2 | None |
Although this bridge had a very low degree of historic significance and aesthetic value, it was more interesting than its replacement structure. Although the date given for this bridge in the inventory is 1950, the concrete pier, and apparent remnants of metal pole railings suggest that this bridge might have been older, or was built to a non-standard plan. This old steel stringer bridge was noted for very large and unusual piers. However the loss of the original railings was a serious detriment to the beauty and historic significance of the structure. However, new bridge/slab, that replaced this bridge also has ugly guardrails, and it has only concrete to form a support system, rather than impressive large steel i-beams. Moreover, the new bridge lacks the large and unusual concrete piers that once distinguished the previous bridge. Considering the condition of this bridge prior to replacement, I see know reason why it could not have been restored, if only to save taxpayer money. The evaluation of the bridge prior to demolition had found the condition of the superstructure and deck to be "fair" and the substructure to be in "satisfactory" condition. These sorts of conditions suggest repair might have been the wiser course of action, and in fact less costly.
