The monthly bridge spotlight was introduced to this website beginning with June 2005. This is an archive of all bridge spotlights from that month and each month thereafter.
June 2005: Martin Road Bridge
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The first bridge to be in the Historic Bridges of Michigan and Elsewhere spotlight, this Shiawassee County, MI bridge is at risk. A visit in early June of 2005 revealed that one of the cobblestone abutments is falling apart, leaving what appears to be a single stone holding a corner of the bridge up. I hope the situation is not as bad as it looks for this bridge. Martin Road Bridge is noted for its historic integrity and early (1885) construction date. |
July 2005: Card Road Bridge
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This bridge has been abandoned for three decades and is one of three abandoned pony truss bridges in Macomb County, MI. Recently, the road commission has proposed destroying this bridge and building a new covered bridge for vehicles in its location. Nearby residents oppose making this section of Card Road, which has been a dead-end for decades, a thoroughfare. I oppose building a non-historic covered bridge when there is an existing historic bridge already present. Why not instead restore this truss bridge for pedestrian use only? |
August 2005: Monroe Norfolk Southern Railroad Bridge
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This is a beautiful and unusual three-span
railroad bridge located in Monroe, MI. It is significant because
it is multi-span and more importantly because of its pinned
connections. It is a beautiful bridge to visit and photograph
because of its extensive v-lacing and lattice, unusual truss
configuration, tall and narrow feeling, as well as the fact that
it sits right next to another three-span railroad through truss.
Also in the town of Monroe is a third truss bridge, a two-span
through truss. Obviously, Monroe is a great place to visit
railroad bridges... the bridges are also quite easy to get good
photos of, due to parks and parallel highway bridges. Click here to visit the page for the Monroe Norfolk Southern Railroad Bridge. |
September 2005: Van Buren Street Bridge
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This beautiful warren pony truss bridge is significant as it is Kalamazoo County's last remaining truss bridge. It is located in the village of Augusta, which has two other historic bridges of note. This bridge is significant to this website because it marks the beginning of a focus change for this website, as I begin to devote my time to photographing the historic bridges of southwest Michigan rather than the southeastern and thumb area, which has been my primary coverage area since the beginning of this website. |
October 2005: Maple Rapids Road Bridge
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This very special bridge is in great danger because its stone
abutments are falling away, which have already caused one corner of this bridge
to fall by around a half-foot, resulting in some visible twisting of the
structure. This 1888 bridge has many physical features that make it very
different from the average truss bridge. This bridge is the last remaining
bridge in Michigan built by Variety Ironworks of Cleveland, Ohio. There is no
telling how much longer this bridge will stay standing. Visit this bridge while
you still can! Click here to visit the page for the Maple Rapids Road Bridge. |
November 2005: Shanley Road Bridge "Maxwell Run Bridge"
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November 5, 2005 marks the one year anniversary of the demolition of this, the most beautiful bridge I have ever seen. Age, integrity, a variety of construction style, as well as surrounding scenery contributed to this assessment. There were a million reasons to leave this bridge standing, yet it was heartlessly demolished. No other bridge on this website so perfectly defines why I started this website. As a result, since nobody else has declared one, the website will recognize November as Historic Bridge Awareness Month. A short discussion of this is below. |
Special November 2005 Event: Historic Bridge Awareness Month
November is Historic Bridge Awareness Month!
As winter and the end of the construction season nears, now is a good time to reflect on the loss of historic bridges, particularly metal truss bridges everywhere during this past summer. It is also a good time to note that the upcoming winter months are a great time to contact those in charge of historic bridges and try to encourage them to cancel plans to demolish historic bridges before future construction seasons begin.
December 2005: Lewis Road Bridge
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People in charge of the roads and bridges are lying to you when they say that one lane truss bridges cannot support 21st century traffic. The well-maintained Lewis Road Bridge in Midland County testifies to this. Since this warren pony truss with riveted connections has been properly maintained, it can carry large trucks such as the one shown crossing the bridge here. A bridge that has not been maintained and has deteriorated could be restored to bring it back to a condition suitable for traffic. Midland County should be thanked for taking good care of the Lewis Road Bridge. Sadly, Lewis Road Bridge is a one of the lucky few in Michigan, as most other truss bridges are not treated so well. |
