Maple Rapids Road Bridge

This bridge is in severe danger of collapse!!!

It could be gone tomorrow, or it might stand for another decade. The reality is that one of the next few spring floods will most likely spell the end for this unusual and beautiful bridge. The loss of this unique bridge will be a tragedy. This bridge is technically already half collapsed in that one corner of the bridge has dropped six to twelve inches. This is due to a major portion of the stone abutments being washed away. The result was that the bridge had nothing to sit on in its southeast corner, and that corner fell to a spot where there was still something to sit on. This drop resulted in damage to the rest of the bridge. Specifically, some of the deck stringers came loose. The original pole guardrails on the east side of the bridge were bent up a little. Bottom chord eyebars on both sides of the bridge are bowed out. The portal bracing was bent as well. Needless to say, there are now parts of the bridge that are under more tension or compression that they were designed for, and the bridge itself might eventually break apart further even if the abutments do not deteriorate further.

This bridge has a standard pin connected Pratt truss configuration, but it also has a number of unusual and noteworthy details. The bridge has built-up floor beams with an attractive shape to them. The sway bracing is also an unusual design. There is v-lacing on the top of the top chord which is especially rare. Another oddity is that the end post is not the same design as the top chord: the end posts have a plate riveted on the top side which is the more common design. The corners of the portal bracing have circles inside them, adding a strong decorative aspect to the bridge. At five panels, this is a relatively short through truss. This bridge is the last example in Michigan built by the Variety Ironworks from Cleveland, Ohio. It was built in 1888, and as such is a relatively old truss bridge for Michigan.

It would have seemed logical to preserve this truss bridge because it is located in a state game area, where it could have served foot traffic. Unfortunately, preserving closed truss bridges in state parks rarely happens in Michigan. The Ford Road Bridge and the Turner Road Bridge are both examples of bridges in state game areas that were abandoned with no restoration. When these bridges collapse, it makes it very inconvenient to access the areas across the river. Restoring these bridges would have helped unite the park and also preserve a rare and beautiful part of Michigan's transportation heritage.