Mansfield Road–Michigamme River Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Mansfield Road–Michigamme River Bridge
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 Location in Michigan
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| Location | Mansfield Road over Michigamme River, Mansfield Township, Michigan |
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| Area | less than 1 acre (0.4 ha) |
| Built | 1915 |
| Built by | McGrath & Sons |
| Architect | Michigan State Highway Department |
| Architectural style | Filled spandrel arch bridge |
| MPS | Highway Bridges of Michigan MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 99001519 |
| Added to NRHP | December 17, 1999 |
The Mansfield Road–Michigamme River Bridge was an important bridge located in Mansfield Township, Michigan. It crossed the Michigamme River and was recognized as a special historical place in 1999.
History of the Mansfield Bridge
The village of Mansfield began in 1889. It grew fast because of the nearby Mansfield Mine. But in 1893, the mine had a big accident. It flooded and then closed down. After this, a forest fire destroyed Mansfield village.
In 1896, the mine opened again and worked until 1913. Around the same time, in 1913, the Iron County Road Commission started building a main road through Crystal Falls and into Mansfield. They wanted to extend this road further east. To do this, they needed to replace the old bridge over the Michigamme River.
In 1914, the decision was made to build a new bridge. The Michigan State Highway Department designed it. A company called McGrath and Sons from Green Bay, Wisconsin, won the contract to build the bridge. They finished building the bridge in 1915.
The main road through Mansfield later became part of M-69, a state highway. However, by 1936, the highway was changed to a different route. The section of road with this bridge became a county road again. In 2007, the original bridge was replaced with a new one that looked just like the old one.
What the Bridge Looked Like
The Mansfield Road–Michigamme River Bridge was about 102 feet (31 meters) long. It was 20 feet (6 meters) wide. The main part of the bridge, called the span, was 85 feet (26 meters) long. The part where cars drove was 17.5 feet (5.3 meters) wide.
It was an arch bridge with a special design called a "filled spandrel arch." This means the space above the arch was filled in. The arch itself had a smooth, curved shape, like an oval. It sat on strong concrete supports. The edges of the arch were decorated, and the guardrails had special panels.
The Mansfield Bridge was important because it was the longest of the early arch bridges designed by the Michigan State Highway Department.
