The Parke Lane Road–Thorofare Canal Bridge is a bridge located on Parke Lane Road over the Thorofare Canal in Grosse Ile, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.[1][2]
History
Some time near the beginning of the twentieth century, Grosse Ile Township constructed a hand-operated swing bridge at the intersection of Park Road (now Parke Lane) with the Thorofare Canal.[3] However, by 1929, the old bridge was deteriorating[2] and the increasing volume of traffic and weight of vehicles had rendered the lightweight swing bridge obsolete. In 1929/1930, the Wayne County Road Commission replaced the old bridge with a concrete cantilevered-arch span.[3]
The bridge was eventually heavily damaged and closed.[4]
Description
The Parke Lane Road–Thorofare Canal Bridge is 99 feet long, with a span length of 51 feet and a width of 36 feet.[2] The bridge itself is of a rare cantilevered concrete arch design.[4][unreliable source] The traditional arch bridge design requires a complete arch; in contrast, the cantilevered arch design is divided into two structurally independent half-arches which are each cantilevered from one side.[4] A slab is suspended between the two cantilevered sections; in the Parke Lane Road–Thorofare Canal Bridge, this section is 18 feet long.[4] Close inspection of the sidewalls of the bridge reveals two seams marking the end of the cantilevered arms.[4]
A concrete balustrade with urn-shaped spindles runs along each side of the roadway, terminating at each end in an octagonal lamp stand.[2] Orange pebble aggregate is included in the spindle concrete mix for color and texture.[2]
Significance
This bridge is significant as an outstanding product of the Wayne County Road Commission's bridge engineers because of its aesthetically pleasing design matched to the surroundings and as a representative of the unusual concrete cantilevered-arch construction.[3]
See also
References
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009. Retrieved July 8, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e Staff. "Parke Lane Road Bridge". Historic Sites Online Michigan State Housing Development Authority. Archived from the original on May 11, 2012. Retrieved July 8, 2010.
- ^ a b c d Staff (May 16, 2002). "Parke Lane Rd.–Thorofare Canal Bridge". Michigan's Historic Bridges. Michigan Department of Transportation. Retrieved July 8, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e "Parke Lane Bridge". HistoricBridges.org. Retrieved August 23, 2010.
External links
- Parke Lane Bridge from HistoricBridges.org: Multiple photographs of the bridge
- Parke Lane Road Bridge from Detroit1701.org: More photographs
