Vernier Street–Swan Creek Bridge

Vernier Street–Swan Creek Bridge
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Bridge in 2011, prior to demolition
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Location	Vernier St. over Swan Cr., Ira Township, Michigan
Coordinates	42°40′50″N 82°39′29″W / 42.68056°N 82.65806°W / 42.68056; -82.65806Coordinates: 42°40′50″N 82°39′29″W / 42.68056°N 82.65806°W / 42.68056; -82.65806
Area	less than one acre
Built	1922 (1922)
Built by	J.E. Mason
Architect	Michigan State Highway Department
Architectural style	Concrete through girder
Demolished	2014[2]
MPS	Highway Bridges of Michigan MPS
NRHP reference No.	00000011[1]
Added to NRHP	January 28, 2000

The Vernier Street–Swan Creek Bridge was a historic bridge carrying Vernier Street over Swan Creek in Ira Township, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.^[1] It was at one time one of the oldest remaining curved-chord though girder bridges, a design unique to the state of Michigan.^[3] The bridge was demolished in 2014.^[2]

History[]

In 1914, the bridge that until that point spanned Swan Creek at this site was determined to be unsafe. The local community approached the St. Clair County Road Commission and requested a new bridge be built. The Commission did preliminary work, and by October 1915 estimated a cost of $8000 to replace the bridge. However, the project was delayed, and canceled in late 1916. However, the project was revived in 1921/22 by the state of Michigan. The Michigan State Highway Department constructed two trunk line bridges over Swan Creek, both of which were 50-foot concrete girder spans with 22-foot roadway. One was Rose Construction of Marine City for $9,959.20, and the other, at this location, was constructed by contractor J. E. Mason of Marine City for $11,894.42.^[4]

In 1932,^[3] the state highway (now designated M-29) was diverted farther southward, and the small section bypassed, including the bridge, was re-designated Vernier Street.^[4] The bridge was slated for demolition in 2014,^[3] and eventually demolished in the summer of that year.^[2]

Description[]

The bridge was a concrete through-girder bridge with a curved top chord. Each of the solid concrete girders contained a recessed panel which held six smaller recessed panels. The endposts supporting the girder endposts were topped with a slanted pedestal, two of which contained plaques identifying the bridge as a state highway department trunkline bridge constructed during the tenure of Frank F. Rogers's as commissioner. The bridge spanned 45 feet, and carried a 30-foot-wide deck with a 22-foot-wide roadway.^[4]

References[]