Above: Bridge Prior To Rehabilitation.
Above: Bridge During Rehabilitation March 2009. Photo Credit: Charlie Unbehaun.
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Key Facts |
Bridge Name |
Type | Road | Location | City | Crossing |
| East Delhi Road Bridge | Truss | East Delhi Road | Washtenaw County, MI | Delhi Mills | Huron River |
This is a group of concerned citizens in the area who formed and works to successfully save this bridge and see it rehabiltiated for a number of different reasons. They understood all of the benefits a beautiful and historic truss bridge has to offer a community. Thanks to their efforts, this bridge will has undergone a rehabilitation and upon completion, the bridge will be ready to serve light vehicular traffic for generations to come. The efforts and ideas that this bridge conservancy held were good, valid ideas and although the bridge is saved today, their mission statement and concerns that resulted in the preservation of the bridge hold true today as reasons why this bridge and others like it are preserved. Here is their mission statement.
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Mission Statement We, the Citizens for the East Delhi Bridge Conservancy, resolve to:
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Concerns That Prompted Action
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This is one of those truss bridges that is not only historic, but it also has a very positive influence on its surrounding environment. This bridge is located in a very picturesque setting. There is a metro park right by this bridge, which offers some good views of the bridge. Ruins of the Delhi Mills are still visible in the area, with some pretty rapids in the river in that area now also. The area is wooded, and the bridge seems to fit right in with its rural turn of the 20th century appearance. The demolition of this bridge and replacement with a modern slab of concrete would have had a severely detrimental effect on the beauty of the area.
This eight panel pin-connected Pratt through truss is historically significant as an example of a once-common structure type that has become rare today due to demolition. This particular example is noteworthy as a bridge displaying the unique details (and builder plaque) that show the designs and work of an important and prolific bridge company, the Wrought Iron Bridge Company of Canton, Ohio.
The first metal through truss at Delhi Mills was built by the Wrought Iron bridge Company, and replaced a wooden bridge at the location. The truss bridge was built after the mill that was next to the bridge closed in 1888. There were actually once six locations along the Huron River that had both a mill and a metal truss bridge. The East Delhi Road Bridge, and Maple / Foster Road Bridge are the only two functioning truss bridges remaining. The Bell Road Bridge is still around, but it sits off of its abutments on the ground next to the river. The rest are completely gone. All of these bridges, including the truss bridge that the current East Delhi Bridge replaced, were built by the Wrought Iron Bridge Company. There must have been an agent for the bridge company who did a very good job as marketing the Wrought Iron Bridge Company's bridges since it does not appear any other bridge companies even stood a chance of having their products chosen.
The bridge that was originally at this crossing, and was nearly identical in design and appearance to this bridge was destroyed in a 1918 tornado. Following its destruction, the old bridge was disposed of, save some parts including a hit vertical and hanger, which were placed inside the fresh concrete that was placed to change the configuration of the crossing to accommodate the replacement bridge... which was another truss bridge of the same design, from the same era, and built by the same company, which was likely either in storage or being replaced. As odd as it may seem today to relocate a bridge in this manner, it was far from unusual back in the past. Truss bridges were like Erector sets and could be easily relocated. Plus, townships tended to be rather thrifty as federal aid funding for bridges was only in its infancy and mostly dedicated to state trunkline development. Therefore, reusing bridges made sense. It still makes sense today, but federal funding has led to wasteful bridge replacement across the country when routine maintenance and repair over the long term would be a better investment of tax dollars.
The East Delhi Road Bridge has several features that are similar to the Maple Road Bridge, also known as Foster Road Bridge, which is only three miles away. The East Delhi Road bridge is an eight panel Pratt through truss. There is no v-lacing on any members. It has an intact plaque, which credits the Wrought Iron Bridge Company with building the bridge. All of these features are shared with the Maple Road Bridge. The guardrails on this bridge are either original, or a very old replacement, and appear to be identical to the Maple Road Bridge's guardrails, prior to the bridge's restoration. These similarities are due to the fact that they were built by the same company and also follow the same design plan, which would have been the property of the Wrought Iron Bridge Company, and thus unique to that company, since these bridges were built prior the era we live in today where government agencies design the standard designs for bridge construction. Despite these similarities, the East Delhi Road Bridge is still delightfully different. A different plaque and portal bracing give this bridge a completely different feel. I have yet to find two identical truss bridges.
