Ashmun Street Bridge

Bridge Documented: June 15, 2003

Sault. Ste. Marie, MI has an unusually high number of unusual steel bridges. This massive trussed steel arch bridge on Ashmun Street, remains in excellent  maintained at its original Power Canal location. Power Canal is aptly named as its water flow is used for generating power. As a result of the unusual nature of the canal, none of the bridges had supports in the water. This resulted in some bridge designs that ended up being unusual. The Asumun Street Bridge is no exception to that. None of the other bridges that cross the canal have supports in the water. In fact, two of the other bridges over the canal are also steel arches, but are much newer, and are not trussed. Steel arch bridges are a fairly uncommon structure type, particularly during prior to 1950. As a massive structure, with intricate truss bridges, all of these factors combine to make this bridge one of Michigan's rarest and most visually impressive bridges.

As mentioned earlier, the Ashmun Street Bridge is a trussed steel arch bridge. According to MDOT, it is 42 feet wide and 257 feet in length. A plaque is present on the bridge, which identifies that the bridge was built in 1935, by Fry and Kain Inc, and Robert Hudson. The bridge was built jointly by the state of Michigan and the federal government. The plaque also mentions that the bridge was built with the cooperation of the Michigan Northern Power Company, most likely because the canal was the property of the power company. Inside the arches, it carries two lanes  and a left turn lane. Cantilevered sidewalks are present on both sides outside the arches. Guardrails for the road appear to have been added, as they are of a modern style. There originally were no guardrails for cars on the bridge. The only guardrails on the bridge would have been on the sidewalks. The pedestrian guardrails on the bridge are an attractive standard Michigan design, often seen on bridges from the 1930s through the 1950s.

MDOT has taken good care of this bridge, and the bridge retains a quality paint job. In 2005, Luke Gordon briefly revisited this bridge, and reassured found that it was still in excellent condition. However, a town announcement sign had been placed on the portal. While the bridge is a beautiful gateway, and might seem an appropriate place for a sign with messages about Sault Ste. Marie, it really detracts from the beauty of the structure itself.