Grange Road Bridge

Learn about historic curved-chord through girder bridges.

Most Recent Visit To Bridge: Summer 2005

Key Facts

Bridge Name	Facility Carried / Feature Intersected	Location	Structure Type	Construction Date / Builder or Contractor
Grange Road Bridge	Grange Road Over Stoney Creek	Rural: Clinton County, Michigan	Concrete 90 Foot Plan Curved Chord Through Girder, Stationary	1923 By: Price Brothers of Lansing, Michigan

Technical Facts

Structure Length	Roadway Width	Main Spans	Approach Spans
90 Feet (27.4 Meters)	20 Feet (6 Meters)	1	None

The Grange Road Bridge, built in 1923, is among the older of the concrete camelbacks, also known as curved chord through girder bridges, yet it remains in remarkable condition. However, this good condition will not last forever if the bridge is not taken care of, and/or salt applied on the bridge in the winter is not limited or forbidden. Even now, there is minor spalling on the bulkheads at the end of the bridge, hinting at the type of deterioration that could occur in future years if this bridge is not cared for. There is no weight limit on this bridge, which has a 20 foot wide deck and carries a light to medium volume of rural arterial traffic.

Historic Significance Rating (HSR)

Information and Findings From MDOT

MDOT Historic Bridge Clinton County Grange Rd. / Stoney Creek This long-span concrete bridge carries Grange Road over Stoney Creek in rural Dallas Township. Constructed in 1923-24, the structure is comprised of a single, 90-foot concrete through girder span, with arched ribs that rest on angled concrete brackets cantilevered from the concrete abutments. A series of concrete floor beams span between the two girders; these are cast integrally with the 20-foot-wide concrete deck. The arched girders feature typical MSHD detailing, with corbeled bulkheads and spandrel walls punctuated by five small arched cutouts aligned over a series of arched recessed panels. Bronze "State Reward Bridge" plates are affixed to the tops of the bulkheads. Other than the installation of Armco guardrails at the approaches, the Grange Road Bridge is unaltered.

The Michigan State Highway Department first developed plans for a long-span concrete through girder bridge with arched girders on cantilevered brackets in the 1921-22 biennium. "These designs have curved top chords and bottom chord brackets," MSHD reported in its Ninth Biennial Report, making them suitable for relatively long-span applications. The highway department touted the flexibility of the bridge, stating that arched girders with cantilevered sidewalks were suitable for urban and small-town applications.

The first curved-chord girder was a 90-foot span built in 1922 over the Raisin River at Tecumseh. This was followed in the 1920s by a series of curved girders used in single-span or multiple-span configurations. One of these new bridges was the span that MSHD designed in 1923 for this Clinton County Crossing. The Stoney Creek structure, like the Tecumseh Bridge, featured a 90-foot span. It was designed by MSHD in 1923 in behalf of the Clinton County Road Commission. The Price Brothers, contractors form Lansing, were awarded the contract to build the bridge; they completed in 1924 for $25,893.09, of which the state and county paid almost equal amounts. Since its completion, the Grange Road Bridge has functioned in place in essentially unaltered condition on this secondary road. With its 1923-23 construction date, its 90-foot span and its integral sidewalk, the Grange Road Bridge is today representative of the state's MSHD-designed, arched through girders.

Visit MDOT's Historic Bridge Website

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