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Key Facts |
Bridge Name | Type | Road | Location | City | Crossing |
| Kent Street Bridge | Truss | Kent Street (Relocated to Trail) | Ionia County, MI | Portland | Grand River |
This bridge was moved from its original location on Kent Street to its current location on a non-motorized path right next to I-96. I-96 is not that bad aesthetically in this area, as its Grand River Bridge is a riveted deck truss. Also, a curved t-beam, of the same design as Sigler Road, is visible in the distance over the expressway as you walk down to this truss bridge. The Kent Street Bridge, the I-96 Grand River Bridge, and the I-96 Curved T-beam overpass all have one thing in common which detracts from their overall beauty. The common thread is the non-original and ugly guardrails on these bridges. Before the 1960s, guardrails were more than just a safety feature. They were also a decoration, much like a decorative fence in someone's yard. All three of these bridges suffer aesthetically because of the loss of their original railings. Both the t-beam and the I-96 Grand River Bridge would have had railings like the Sigler Road Bridge, and the truss bridge would have had guardrails like those on the nearby un-restored Turner Road Bridge, which is also a Parker truss. The truss bridge suffers the least, however, since it has so much more going for it. However, I refuse to believe that there is no alternative to cyclone or thick boards of wood for a pedestrian bridge. Grand Rapids figured it out without too much difficulty. They put pole railings on their Grand Rapids Railroad Bridge which now serves as a busy pedestrian crossing. On the Sixth Street Bridge, they left the original railings. Granted, the original railings on Kent Street had already been lost when it was restored, so at least the pole guardrail option could have been taken. Pole railings are more appropriate for truss bridge restorations than thick wood or cyclone fence guardrails because they obstruct the view of the superstructure less. Take a portal view of the Kent Street Bridge and then of the Grand Rapids Railroad Bridge and see which looks nicer as far as railings go.
On the other hand, the bridge itself is beautiful, that once you get over the ugly railings, you have a breathtaking bridge that has been saved from the dumpster. As MDOT's website notes, this is one of only three remaining through parker trusses in the whole state. The bridge is 224 feet long and was built in 1907. This bridge is most similar to the Turner Road Bridge, which is not too far away. Both were built by Wynkoop and McGorley of Toledo, Ohio. The third parker truss is smaller and quite different looking, and is the Upton Road Bridge. With the Kent Street Bridge, its pinned connections, the curved top chord, the v-laced members and bracing, and the extent of the bracing make this a bridge that is extremely beautiful. Geometric intricacy is what makes truss bridges so beautiful, and this bridge is certainly intricate.
