| Key Facts |
| Bridge Name | Facility Carried / Feature Intersected | Location | Structure Type | Construction Date / Builder or Contractor |
| Old US-12 Bridge | Old US-12 (Old US-112) Over Coldwater River | Coldwater: Branch County, Michigan | Metal Riveted Pratt Pony Truss, Stationary | 1920 By: Brookville Bridge Company of Brookville, Ohio |
| Technical Facts |
| Structure Length | Roadway Width | Main Spans | Approach Spans |
| 67 Feet (20.4 Meters) | 19.7 Feet (6 Meters) | 1 | None |
This bridge is technically a relic from US-112, although for the sake of clarity, it is usually considered the Old US-12 Bridge. US-12 was during the time this bridge was built, right through 1933 when the Michigan State Highway Department realigned the highway south of the truss bridge, actually US-112. At that time, US-12 followed the current route of I-94. Remnants of this highway, which passed through cities like Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, Albion, Jackson, and Paw Paw, are commonly named Michigan Avenue today. Only in 1962 when I-94 was completed did US-112 become US-12 and the Michigan Avenue US-12 was decommissioned. Find out more about the highways at this excellent website.
This bridge is unusual because it is a Michigan State Highway Department standard plan structure and bears much similarity to Michigan's standard Parker pony truss plan as seen in bridges like M-86. This is a relatively short bridge, and as such a Parker truss was most likely unnecessary here.
In a county where ancient pin-connected truss bridges like the Gower Road Bridge, plus Stancer Road Bridge, remain open to traffic, finding this 1920s truss bridge with riveted connections closed to traffic might come as a shock. The shock might be amplified by the fact that the M-86 Bridge, one of those similar Parker truss bridges, is open to trunk line traffic with no weight limit at all. The Old US-12 Bridge has severe rust deterioration on the bottom chord, floor beams, and deck stringers. It is likely due to salt damage. The older pin-connected bridges are both on dirt roads, where salt is not applied in the winter, accounting for why a newer and originally stronger bridge is today in worse condition. This bridge underscores the need to explore and utilize alternative forms of de-icing that do not deteriorate bridges, and for that matter cars as well.
Up until 1997, the 1933 bridge that was built just a little bit south of this bridge to carry the realigned US-112 was still standing, displaying two generations of bridge design. Unfortunately, that bridge was demolished in 1997.
Information and Findings From MDOT
This structure was built by the Brookville Bridge Company for the Michigan State Highway Department in 1920 as a trunk line bridge. The April 1920 issue of Michigan Roads and Forests showed the amount of the Brookville contract to be $10,779.78. The total construction cost was about $12,000. The city of Coldwater has no historical records for the bridge, but they assumed responsibility for the structure when it was abandoned by the state in 1933, according to the city's Chief Engineer Fred Lilue. At that time, the state rerouted US-12 over a nearby new steel stringer structure to improve the road's alignment. |
The Old U. S. Highway 12 Bridge is eligible for the
National Register as an excellent representative example of a state
standard plan riveted Pratt pony truss.