Vernier Street–Swan Creek Bridge
Vernier Street–Swan Creek Bridge | |
Location | Vernier St. over Swan Cr., Ira Township, Michigan |
---|---|
Coordinates | 42°40′50″N 82°39′29″W / 42.68056°N 82.65806°W |
Area | less than one acre |
Built | 1922 |
Built by | J.E. Mason |
Architect | Michigan State Highway Department |
Architectural style | Concrete through girder |
Demolished | 2014[2] |
MPS | Highway Bridges of Michigan MPS |
NRHP reference No. | 00000011[1] |
Added to NRHP | January 28, 2000 |
The Vernier Street–Swan Creek Bridge was a historic bridge carrying Vernier Street over Swan Creek in Ira Township, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.[1] It was at one time one of the oldest remaining curved-chord though girder bridges, a design unique to the state of Michigan.[3] The bridge was demolished in 2014.[2]
History
[edit]In 1914, the bridge that until that point spanned Swan Creek at this site was determined to be unsafe. The local community approached the St. Clair County Road Commission and requested a new bridge be built. The Commission did preliminary work, and by October 1915 estimated a cost of $8000 to replace the bridge. However, the project was delayed, and canceled in late 1916. However, the project was revived in 1921/22 by the state of Michigan. The Michigan State Highway Department constructed two trunk line bridges over Swan Creek, both of which were 50-foot concrete girder spans with 22-foot roadway. One was Rose Construction of Marine City for $9,959.20, and the other, at this location, was constructed by contractor J. E. Mason of Marine City for $11,894.42.[4]
In 1932,[3] the state highway (now designated M-29) was diverted farther southward, and the small section bypassed, including the bridge, was re-designated Vernier Street.[4] The bridge was slated for demolition in 2014,[3] and eventually demolished in the summer of that year.[2]
Description
[edit]The bridge was a concrete through-girder bridge with a curved top chord. Each of the solid concrete girders contained a recessed panel which held six smaller recessed panels. The endposts supporting the girder endposts were topped with a slanted pedestal, two of which contained plaques identifying the bridge as a state highway department trunkline bridge constructed during the tenure of Frank F. Rogers's as commissioner. The bridge spanned 45 feet, and carried a 30-foot-wide deck with a 22-foot-wide roadway.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ a b c Bob Gross (April 7, 2015). "County had 83 'deficient' bridges in 2014". Times Herald.
- ^ a b c "Vernier Street Bridge (Ira Road Bridge)". Historic Bridges.org. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
- ^ a b c Charlene K. Roise (January 1998), NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES REGISTRATION FORM: Vernier Street/Swan Creek Bridge