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Category Archives: Bridges

The Ada Covered Bridge

Posted on July 20, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Bridges .

Near Grand Rapids is the town of Ada. Rix Robinson built a trading post near present-day Ada in 1821 and made the first land purchase in 1833. A post office was established in 1837. Both the township and village settlement were named for Ada Smith, the daughter of the first postmaster. A Michigan historical marker proudly describes the history of the one of a kind bridge wooden bridge in Ada and it reads: An act of the legislature in 1867 authorized Ada Township to borrow up to $3000 for the purpose of building or repairing bridges in the township. This bridge was built about that time, apparently by William Holmes. The design for the trusses was patented by Josiah Brown in 1857. A timber bearing his name was uncovered during repair work. The bridge has been threatened by floods a number of times. It is said that farmers used to drive wagons loaded with stone onto the bridge during high water to hold it to the foundation. The bridge was closed to automobile traffic in 1930 and restored by the Kent County Road Commission in 1941.

If you are ever in the area be sure to stop by and walk across the bridge. It is like walking back in time.

 

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McCourtie Park Bridges

Posted on May 27, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Bridges .

McCourtie Park is in the town of Somerset Center in southern Michigan along US-12. The park was originally the estate of businessman  W. H. L. McCourtie. He hired Mexican artisans George Cardoso and Ralph Corona to construct seventeen bridges on his property. They sculpted them out of concrete to look like natural wood. The house is gone but the bridges remain and are now part of a public park. It is a nice place to stop and take a break and check out these beautiful little bridges.

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Michigan’s Singing Bridge

Posted on October 15, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Bridges .

On US-23 between Au Gres and Tawas is a bridge that crosses the east branch of the Au Gres River and has been given the nickname “The Singing Bridge.” When I was younger most people knew it as the place to party while smelt dipping. If you ask someone who grew up in the Saginaw Valley region in the ’70s and went smelt dipping, they will probably tell you all sorts of stories of massive parties at the Singing Bridge. I am not sure how true they are, but the smelt used to run heavily in the area years ago and would draw crowds to dip for smelt when they were running.

Legend has it the bridge got its moniker from the wood or metal decking that it had decades ago. As cars drove across it the tires would hum from the texture of the road. I think MDOT should add grooves to the bridge and make it sing once again like in this video HERE. The big question would be what song would it play. I say the U of M fight song, but I think Spartan fans would disagree. Maybe U of M one way and MSU the other.

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Two Hearted River Bridge

Posted on July 11, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Bridges, upper peninsula .

Way up north of Newberry the Two Hearted River flows into Lake Superior. A one of a kind suspension bridge with wood planking spans the river for hikers to cross over it. The bridge located in the state forest campground leads over to a sandy beach with rocks along the shoreline. It is a great place to enjoy the refreshing water of Lake Superior or go rock hunting for your favorite rocks. The bridge is also part of the North Country Trail that runs from North Dakota to Vermont and passes through Michigan.

It is a strange feeling walking over the bridge as it bounces and sways, or maybe I just need to lose some weight. If you are ever up that way, It is a long trip down dirt roads but it is a unique experience to walk across the bridge.

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Michigan’s Longest Covered Bridge

Posted on May 6, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Bridges .

Michigan has a few historic wooden covered bridges but this one about twenty miles from the Indiana border is almost the length of a football field.  Spaning across the St Joeseph River the Langley Bridge 282 feet long. It was built in 1887 by Pierce Bodmer of Parkville, using the best quality white pine for the frame timbers. The bridge was named after a family in the nearby town of Centreville. When the Sturgis Dam was built in 1910, the Langley Bridge had to be raised eight feet. In 1950-51 extensive repairs and replacement of parts on the bridge were done to preserve this historic bridge which is still a vital river crossing.

The bridge is a one-lane bridge and is interesting to drive through. You have to be sure a car is not entering from the other direction before you enter otherwise someone is backing up a long distance. If you are in the area be sure to take a trip across this historic bridge. It would make for an excellent drive in the Fall when the leaves are at their peak along the St Joseph River.

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The Other Big Green Bridge

Posted on October 8, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Bridges .

The Cut River Bridge on US-2 passes over the Cut River which carved a gorge into the landscape over the several centries it has flowed into Lake Michigan. From the topside, it seems like most bridges. But if you stop at the rest area next to the bridge, you can walk down underneath it and see the myriad of green steel girders.

It’s near the town of Epoufette about 25 miles west of St. Ignace. Construction of the bridge began in 1941 but was halted during WWII. The 641 foot long bridge was finally compleated in 1947. Under the east end of the bridge is a wooden door in the stone foundation. A brass plate on the door reads ” T. Troll ” I am not sure if it is their office or home, but whenever I knocked they never answered.

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The Redridge Bridge

Posted on May 28, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Bridges, Dam, upper peninsula, Waterfalls .

When I first saw it, I was not sure if it was a bridge, dam or waterfall, or a little bit of all three. On the Salmon Trout River near the town of Redridge is this massive steel structure. It has water flowing underneath and from its rusty girders, it looks as if it has been standing for a long time.  It was one of only three steel dams of its type in the United States and it was constructed in 1901.  The dam was built to create a reservoir for the Atlantic Stamping Mill in Redridge. The mill is gone but water still flows over the dam.

Redridge is in the Keweenaw and west of Houghton, It’s not far from the ruins in Freda, you can read about them in my post HERE 

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The Bridge in Fallasburg

Posted on November 4, 2018 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Bridges, Michigan Historical Markers .

 

I was hanging out with these Canadian geese admiring the Fallasburg covered bridge. It’s a true piece of Michigan history that you can experience. I wonder what it would be like to ride across it in a horse and wagon. The Historical marker next to the bridge reads:

John W. and Silas S. Fallas settled here in 1837, founded a village which soon boasted a chair factory, sawmill, and gristmill. About 1840 the first of several wooden bridges was placed across the Flat River, but all succumbed in a short time to high water and massive spring ice jams. Bridge builder Jared N. Bresee of Ada was given a contract in 1871 to build the present structure. Constructed at a cost of $1500, the bridge has lattice work trusses made of white pine timbers. As in all covered bridges, the roof and siding serve to protect the bridge timbers from rot. Repairs in 1905 and 1945 have kept the bridge safe for traffic for one hundred years

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The Other Suspension Bridge in Michigan

Posted on September 7, 2017 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Bridges, State Parks .

When I mention suspension bridge most Michiganders think of the Mackinaw Bridge with its tall white towers and green decking stretching across from the lower to the upper peninsula.  There is another suspension bridge that crosses the Rifle River on the hiking trails in the Rifle River Recreation Area near Lupton.

Millions of motorists have crossed the ” Mighty Mac” but I wonder how many hikers have crossed this secluded little wooden bridge in one of Michigan’s serene state parks. If you haven’t explored the Rifle River Recreation, you should, you will never know what you might find.

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The Big Green Bridge

Posted on May 1, 2017 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Bridges .

mackinaw bridge

Every time I am in Mackinaw City I have to stop and get a pic of the Mighty Mac.  I must have hundreds of photos of it, but it’s really hard to capture its immense size and awe-inspiring beauty in a single photo. Here is a pic I took last fall as the sun set on a beautiful northern Michigan day.  I can’t wait to get back up to the straights again, as soon as I leave I want to go back.

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