Gibraltar Road–Waterway Canal Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Gibraltar Road–Waterway Canal Bridge
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 Location in Michigan
Location in the United States
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| Location | Gibraltar Road over Waterway Canal, Gibraltar, Michigan |
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| Area | 0.9 acres (0.36 ha) |
| Built | 1932 |
| Architect | Wayne County Road Commission |
| Architectural style | T-beam bridge |
| MPS | Highway Bridges of Michigan MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 00000082 |
| Added to NRHP | February 10, 2000 |
The Gibraltar Road–Waterway Canal Bridge is a special bridge in Gibraltar, Michigan. It crosses over the Waterway Canal. This bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. This means it is considered an important historical landmark.
Building the Bridge
In the early 1930s, the Wayne County Road Commission worked on Gibraltar Road. They paved parts of the road to make it better for cars. As part of this big project, they built several new bridges. The Gibraltar Road–Waterway Canal Bridge was one of them. It was finished in 1932.
What Makes This Bridge Special?
The Gibraltar Road Bridge is made of strong concrete. It is about 98 feet (30 meters) long. The bridge is also about 38 feet (12 meters) wide. The main part that spans the canal is 52 feet (16 meters) long.
Along the sides of the road, there is a concrete fence called a balustrade. This fence has cool, urn-shaped decorations. These details make the bridge look very nice.
A Unique Design
This bridge has a rare design called a "cantilevered concrete arch." Most arch bridges form one complete curve. But a cantilevered arch bridge is different. It is made of two half-arches. Each half-arch sticks out, or "cantilevers," from one side of the canal.
A flat section, like a short slab, connects these two half-arches in the middle. On the Gibraltar Road Bridge, this connecting part is 9 feet (2.7 meters) long. If you look closely at the sides of the bridge, you can see lines where the cantilevered parts end.
After the bridge was built, the Wayne County Road Commissioners were very proud of it. They said its "low sweeping arch" fit perfectly with the area. They believed it was one of the things that made Gibraltar Road so attractive.
