Grand Haven Swing Bridge

Most Recent Visit: April 28, 2006

This is a spectacular example of a bridge which is still in use. I was lucky enough to witness some railroad maintenance workers close and reopen this bridge while there. I have both still photos and video of this event in the photo gallery.

The extensive v-lacing and lattice that is present on the members and chords of this bridge make it a beautiful structure. The swing span is the main span of the bridge, a number of deck plate girder/steel stringer spans provide an approach to the structure, which carries one set of tracks. The bridge employs the Pratt truss configuration. All connections on the bridge are riveted. Even the tall center portion is all riveted, as opposed to such bridges as the Saginaw Swing Bridge, which feature pinned connections for portions of the center structure. An addition interesting comparison is the design of the members and chords of the Saginaw bridge against the Grand Haven bridge. The Saginaw bridge has a chunky, less uniform design, due to some unusual members, and the lack of consistency of connection type. This is not to say I like one bridge more than the other, it is merely an example of how diverse the world of metal truss bridges is.