|
Key Facts |
| Bridge Name | Facility Carried / Feature Intersected | Location | Structure Type | Construction Date / Builder or Contractor |
| Bridgeview Street Bridge Substructure | Bridgeview Street Over Clinton River | Harrison Township: St. Clair County, Michigan | Concrete Non-Historic, Stationary | 0 By: Unknown |
It is rare that a bridge would appear on the website on the basis of its substructure only. The superstructure is an ugly modern slab of concrete, and is a disgrace to modern engineering and although it can be seen in the photos, is not a part of this webpage any more than the trees in the background! However, this ugly slab was placed on top of the piers of the bridge it replaced, which are a part of this website, as they deserve to be. These piers are quite complex in design, and are noteworthy and historic in their own right, and provide a reminder to the beautiful bridge that was once here. They likely once held a mighty 1930s structure such as that found in Ionia County on Cleveland Avenue. Bridgeview Street is really Jefferson Avenue in disguise, and other bridges found on the Jefferson Avenue corridor such as this bridge date to the 1930s. Before expressways like I-94 came to be, Jefferson Avenue was likely more of a through route, and would have been much busier. In addition, the Selfridge Air Force Base cut off Jefferson Avenue, further reducing its value as a through road. The wide piers that the two-lane slab sits on suggest the bridge preceding the current slab had perhaps four lanes, and thus was designed to carry more traffic. This crossing is elevated to facilitate the passage of boats. Old North River Road runs under this bridge on the north side. An interesting design consideration, decorative cement panels are present on the pier next to this road to act as guardrails.
