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Key Facts |
Bridge Name |
Type | Road | Location | City | Crossing |
| Romeo Plank Bridge | Arch (Concrete) | Romeo Plank | Macomb County, MI | Rural (Near Romeo) | Clinton River North Branch |
There is a lot to look at in this location, as you can see from the above picture. Although the large concrete arch is the most interesting, the 1960s deck plate girder here is decent looking from below, and the old dam is cool looking also. I have included photos of all three in my gallery.
The concrete arch bridge at this location appears to be the old Romeo Plank bridge, which was most likely replaced by the current Romeo Plank Bridge, a 1964 deck plate girder. This style of concrete arch bridge was once common in Macomb County, but through attrition, all but this and Chapman Road appear to remain. This Romeo Plank arch bridge is a one lane bridge, with intact guardrails. These railings are concrete, and have rectangles inscribed in them. There is evidence of plaques having once been on the bridge, but both have been removed. Compared to Chapman Road, this is a very large bridge. Since this bridge is similar to the Chapman Road Bridge, I am guessing that this bridge was built circa 1910. Strangely the Romeo Plank arch bridge is not on MDOT's website nor is it listed on the Michigan Historic Bridge Inventory. Usually, the only bridges that are not listed on the historic inventory are bridges that are either not historic or old, or are on MDOT's website. I am unsure why this bridge is not on either of these resources. I stumbled upon this bridge just by chance.
The old alignment of the road can still be seen running to this bridge, as some of the asphalt still remains. It appears to have been given to the nearby landowners, since it is fenced off now. Given its location next to a busy road, I would have much rather seen this bridge preserved and made into a historic landmark open to the public. It would be a nice attraction for the Romeo area, and could also offer a nice view for people, away from the heavy traffic on Romeo Plank. The bridge still appears to be in good condition. A very long piece of reinforcing rod hangs in the river, which makes it look bad, but a closer inspection revealed that a piece of concrete that ran along the guardrails has fallen away on one side. I suppose this might eventually worsen and cause the guardrails to fall into the water. The other side (East side) was not like this at all. Some of the arch is cracked slightly, which would need to be patched if this bridge were restored. Similar repairs were made to the Chapman Road Bridge some time ago. Since this bridge is closed, and is not being cared for, these minor problems will slowly worsen and become major problems. If the concrete arch continues to crack, the chances of it standing will decrease.
A visit here also offers a look at a old, and interesting dam. The dam could use some restoration, as much of it has crumbled. Judging by the cool looking turret at the end of the dam, I would guess that this was a fancy structure when it was built.
Even the new bridge here is worth at least a quick glance. The current Romeo Plank Bridge is interesting when view from beneath, despite the ugly and mismatched combination of New Jersey Barrier, and pole and concrete guardrails on bridge. It turns out to be an arched deck girder with rivets. I would have never guessed that the bridge was a deck girder from going across it. Built in 1964, the large rivets that hold the girders together seem out of place. The i-beams on the bridge are bolted, and they are more characteristic of a standard 1960s bridge.
An inspection of HABS HAER's page showed that a dozen of these types of bridges were built in Macomb County by the Illinois Bridge Company, a prolific company in Michigan at the time.
