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Key Facts |
Bridge Name |
Type | Road | Location | City | Crossing |
| Morseville Bridge | Truss | Burt Road East | Saginaw County, MI | Rural | Mill Creek |
This very attractive bridge managed to find its way into the National Register of Historic Places. Many truss bridges, including ones that are demolished, are eligible for the Register, but very few are actually put there. Some of this has to do with the unwillingness of the owners, the road commissions, who don't want it listed because it would make it more complicated to demolish. I am unsure why anyone went to the trouble to register this bridge, since it sits closed to traffic, un-maintained. Perhaps there was once a plan to restore this bridge that never came to be. Perhaps someone should try again to get this bridge restored. It would certainly be worth it. The bridge does show signs that it was at some point repaired, since some of the parts are not original, however it is not a full restore. The steel grating deck is an unusual piece of work (loose and patched), and there are i-beams rotting on the steel stringer approaches for this bridge. Once of them is so rusted I am not sure how the approach holds itself up. The actual superstructure of the main span is in good condition though, so it would be nice to see a full restore of this bridge.
This bridge was built by the Smith Bridge Company, as indicated by an intact plaque, in 1885. The portal bracing is just like the Shanley Road Bridge, as is the paint color. The structure is a pin connected through truss. It has nice decorative end posts, and the vertical members are v-laced. The bridge originally sat on concrete filled steel caissons, but the western set has been replaced with a concrete pier. The original caissons for that end are still visible laying in the water. The eastern caissons are still in use, and appear to be in excellent condition, despite their long length. This bridge sits up in the air a fair amount. Abutments, which the approach spans sit on, are riveted plate steel. The truss bridge is 138 feet long, and the approach spans are 29 feet.
A visit to this bridge in early 2006 revealed that to the south on a new alignment a new bridge was being built. I contacted the road commission and they told me they will not be tearing this historic truss bridge down. I am obviously happy to hear this. Although it seems like a no-brainer, rogue states like Pennsylvania would actually tear this truss bridge down after the new one was completed! Going back to the Morseville Bridge, on the other hand, a downer to the construction of the new bridge is this means the county probably has no plans to restore this historic bridge for light vehicular traffic. This is unfortunate, as this bridge deserves nothing less than the very best treatment, which means a full restoration!
