Indian River Bridge

Photo Credit: Luke Gordon

Learn about historic curved-chord through girder bridges.

Bridge Documented: May 12, 2006

Key Facts

Bridge Name	Facility Carried / Feature Intersected	Location	Structure Type	Construction Date / Builder or Contractor
Indian River Bridge	M-27 (Straits Highway, Old US-27) Over Indian River	Indian River: Cheboygan County, Michigan	Concrete 90 Foot Plan Curved Chord Through Girder, Stationary	1924 By: J.B. Whitcomb Construction Company

Technical Facts

Structure Length	Roadway Width	Navigation Vertical Clearance	Main Spans	Approach Spans
91 Feet (27.7 Meters)	22 Feet (6.7 Meters)	16.4 Feet (5 Meters)	1	None

These concrete curved chord though girder bridges, commonly called concrete camelback bridges, were only built in Michigan, and thus may be considered significant on a national scale, as well as a statewide scale. This bridge type is rarer than truss bridges in Michigan! This is a beautiful example, and a rare example of one with a sidewalk as part of the original structure. These camelback bridge types were usually rural bridges and so sidewalks were not normally included. Another remaining bridge that included a sidewalk was the Okemos Road Bridge. Although the route designation for the road this bridge is on is M-27, the roadway as originally US-27. The bridge retains Trunk Line Bridge plaques on it, which credit J.B. Whitcomb Construction Company with building the bridge.

This is a historic bridge that is extremely easy to visit and is not out of the way hardly at all. Anyone traveling up to the U.P. on I-75 can get off at Exit 310, turn right at the M-27 junction, and head north. You will drive right over the bridge, and can continue north and get right back on the expressway, at exit 313. There is fast food and other services available in Indian River, so it makes an all-around great place to make a short stop on a trip up north.