Thornapple River Drive Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Thornapple River Drive Bridge
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| Location | Thornapple River Drive over Thornapple River, Cascade Township, Michigan |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1927 |
| Built by | Price Brothers |
| Architect | Michigan State Highway Department |
| Architectural style | Camelback bridge |
| NRHP reference No. | 90000570 |
| Added to NRHP | April 18, 1990 |
The Thornapple River Drive Bridge is a special road bridge located in Cascade Township, Michigan. It carries Thornapple River Drive right over the Thornapple River. This bridge is important because it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. This list helps protect places that are important to history.
History of the Bridge
A bridge has stood in this spot for a long time. The very first bridge was built here in 1880. It was a covered wooden bridge, a bit like a tunnel, and was known as the "Withey Bridge." Will Holmes built this old bridge.
By the 1920s, the old wooden bridge needed to be replaced. So, in 1927, a brand new bridge was built. This new bridge used a standard design that the Michigan State Highway Department had created years earlier. The company that built the bridge was Price Brothers, from Lansing. This newer bridge is the one we see today, and it still helps cars and trucks cross the river safely.
What the Bridge Looks Like
The Thornapple River Drive Bridge is a concrete bridge that is about 150 feet (46 meters) long. It has two main sections, called spans, and each one is about 75 feet (23 meters) long. The bridge is 22 feet (6.7 meters) wide.
It rests on strong concrete supports called piers and abutments. The bridge is made even stronger with steel bars inside the concrete. It has a unique shape called a "camelback bridge." This means its top arches curve up like a camel's hump above the road. Each of these arches has five openings, which are placed above a line of panels that are set back into the bridge's design.
