Cut River Bridge
| Cut River Bridge | |
|---|---|
|
The Cut River Bridge is a cantilevered steel deck bridge | |
| Coordinates | 46°02′42″N 85°07′31″W / 46.044986°N 85.125206°WCoordinates: 46°02′42″N 85°07′31″W / 46.044986°N 85.125206°W |
| Carries |
 US 2Pedestrians, automobiles, trucks |
| Crosses | Cut River |
| ID number | 49149023000B010 |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | steel deck cantilever bridge |
| Material | Iron, structural steel, prestressed concrete |
| Total length | 641 feet (195 m) |
| History | |
| Constructed by | W.J. Meager and Sons, Contractors |
| Construction begin | 1941 |
| Construction end | 1947 |
| Opened | 1947 |
Cut River Bridge is a cantilevered steel deck bridge over the Cut River in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located along U.S. Highway 2 (US 2) in Hendricks Township, Mackinac County,[1] between Epoufette and Brevort, about 25 miles (40 km) northwest of St. Ignace and the Straits of Mackinac. There is a long but not often traversed wooden staircase to the valley below that was constructed some time after the construction of the bridge itself.
The bridge was built in 1947 and is one of only two cantilevered deck truss bridges in Michigan, it is 641 feet (195 m) long and contains 888 short tons (793 long tons; 806 t) of structural steel. The bridge carries traffic on US 2 above and spans the Cut River Valley, 147 feet (45 m) below.
History
The State Highway Department designed this structure, and W.J. Meager and Sons, Contractors, built it. Actual construction began in 1941. Due to the demand for steel during World War II, construction on the bridge was halted until after the war.
Legislation under consideration in the Michigan Legislature would name the bridge after Heath Michael Robinson, a fallen member of the Navy SEALs who was killed on August 6, 2011 in Wardak, Afghanistan when their Chinook helicopter came under fire.[2][3]
Construction
The bridge is a steel deck cantilever bridge. The structure has extensive latticing on its members, which are all very massive. The bridge retains original standard-plan metal guardrails on the sidewalks that flank the roadway on each side.
References
- ↑ Control Section/Physical Reference Atlas (Map). Michigan Department of Transportation. 2009. Retrieved July 26, 2009.
- ↑ Michigan Legislature: HB 4957 (97th Legislature)
- ↑ Heath M. Robinson, Chief Petty Officer (SEAL), United States Navy
- "31 Cut River Bridge". Michigan Department of Natural Resources. 2003. Retrieved September 26, 2010.
- "Cut River Bridge". Letterboxing North America. August 8, 2003. Retrieved September 26, 2010.
- "Cut River Bridge". Historic Bridges of Michigan and Elsewhere. Retrieved September 26, 2010.
- Hunt, Mary; Hunt, Don. "Epoufette: Cut River Bridge & Picnic Area". Hunts' Guide to Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Albion, MI: Midwestern Guides. Retrieved September 26, 2010.
- Hyde, Charles (May 13, 2002). "US 2 / Cut River". Historic Bridge Listing. Michigan Department of Transportation. Retrieved September 26, 2010.
External links
Media related to Cut River Bridge at Wikimedia Commons