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Key Facts |
Bridge Name | Type | Road | Location | City | Crossing |
| Cole Road Bridge | Truss | Private Field Crossing | Lenawee County, MI | Rural | Fitts Creek |
I am not an engineer, so how can I be sure this bridge is in such danger of collapse. Two reasons. First, the south truss has dropped a half foot because the stone abutment at that spot of falling away. Second, you can wiggle this southern truss with little effort. It felt like if you got some strong person on this bridge that they could push the truss right into the water. On the other hand, I am not an engineer, and I have no clue how a bridge like this continues to stand.
This bridge is a half-hip pratt pony truss with pinned connections. The bridge has three panels. It sits on stone abutments, which are falling apart. V-lacing is present on vertical members. Lattice guardrails are present on the bridge. The deck is wood. Michigan Historic Bridge Inventory gave an 1897 construction date, and a 39 foot span length.
The main i-beams are in good condition overall, but evidence of heavy rust damage can be seen all over. Rust has broken the caps on the endposts off, and that classic ribbed appearance that the top chord gets when it is badly rusted is clear on this bridge. The condition of the bridge is quite a contrast to the Raymond Road Bridge which is a mere half mile north of this bridge.
Even in its sorry state, this small bridge has that attractive appearance that can only be found in a small rural truss bridge. The vines which have overgrown part of the bridge inhibit bridge photography, but still create an artistic unity of nature and man-made creation. Truss bridges always seem to fit perfectly in natural environments.
