Concrete curved-chord through girder bridge

The first camelback bridge in Michigan over the Raisin River near Tecumseh
The three-span US 12–St. Joseph River Bridge in Mottville, Michigan, the longest remaining camelback bridge in the state[1]

A concrete curved-chord through girder bridge, commonly known as a camelback bridge,[2] is a type of concrete bridge most common in the U.S. state of Michigan and the Canadian province of Ontario.[1] The type was designed by C.V. Dewart, the first professional bridge engineer of the Michigan State Highway Department.[3] By the early 1920s, the Michigan State Highway Department had produced standardized designs for these bridges in lengths of 50, 60, 70, 75 and 90 feet.[1] The first such bridge in Michigan was built in 1922 over the Raisin River at Tecumseh. By the end of the decade, the design fell out of favor since they could not be widened to handle increasing traffic.[4]

As of 2012, the longest surviving example in Michigan is the three-span, 270-foot-long (82 m) US 12–St. Joseph River Bridge, built in 1922 in Mottville.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Staff. "US-12 St. Joseph River Bridge". State Historic Preservation Office. Michigan State Housing Development Authority. Retrieved August 30, 2012.
  2. "Historic Indian River bridge to be no more". Petoskey News-Review. October 25, 2011. Retrieved August 31, 2012.
  3. "Overview: M-32 Spur Bridge". Michigan Department of Transportation. Retrieved August 31, 2012.
  4. "Wadhams Rd. / Pine River". Historic Bridges. Michigan Department of Transportation. Retrieved August 31, 2012.
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