2nd Street Bridge

Key Facts

Bridge Name	Facility Carried / Feature Intersected	Location	Structure Type	Construction Date / Builder or Contractor
2nd Street Bridge	2nd Street Over Gun River	Hooper (Rural): Allegan County, Michigan	Concrete 50 Foot Plan Curved Chord Through Girder, Stationary	1926 By: Yost Brothers of Decatur, Indiana

Technical Facts

Structure Length	Roadway Width	Main Spans	Approach Spans
50 Feet (15.2 Meters)	22 Feet (6.7 Meters)	1	None

This is a completely different Second Street than the one the truss bridge in Allegan County is on. This bridge is similar in size and style, including its skewed alignment, to the Yale Road Bridge. It is also significant as being part of a Covert Road, as the plaques on the bridge show. The structure is in good condition, with very little spalling. With so few remaining examples of this bridge type, which is unique to Michigan, every effort should be being made to preserve each remaining one. As a bridge associated with an unusual funding program, this bridge is particularly significant. This is a bridge that deserves preservation.

Historic Significance Rating (HSR)

Information and Findings From MDOT

MDOT Historic Bridge 2nd. St. / Gun River The Second Street Bridge is eligible for the National Register because it exemplifies the state's pioneering efforts to develop standard plans and implement programs such as the Covert Act. Passed by the state legislature in 1915, the Covert Act required the state, upon request of the appropriate locality, to build all trunk-line roads as well as inter-county non-system roads. Adjacent land owners were assessed for half the cost; road commissions could issue bonds for the remainder.

The Second Street Bridge was built by the Allegan County Road Commission as a covert road bridge in about 1926. The county hired Yost Brothers, contractors from Decatur, Indiana, to erect the structure. The original plans cannot be located, but the design appears to be based on the standard Michigan State Highway Department plan for a curved-chord concrete girder bridge. This structure is a rare example of a bridge with a plate indicating that it was built as part of a covert road.

Visit MDOT's Historic Bridge Website

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