Built 1916 Opened 1916 | Built by Barnum & Counihan Added to NRHP 17 December 1999 | |
 | ||
Area less than 1 acre (0.40 ha) Architect Michigan State Highway Dept. Architectural style Other, Concrete through girder People also search for Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle, Club Manitou of Harbor Springs, Lake Michigan | ||
The Forest Route 157–Tamarack River Bridge, also known as the San Souci Bridge, is a bridge located on Federal Forest Highway 157 over the Tamarack River in Stambaugh Township, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.
Contents
History
During the 1910s a road was developed through Iron County running from Dickinson County through Crystal Falls and Iron River and on to Gogebic County. Between Iron River and the county line, the road crossed three rivers: Cook's Run River, the Paint River and the Tamarack River. In 1915 the Michigan State Highway Department let out contracts to construct 50-foot (15 m) spans over each river; these bridges were designated Trunk Line Bridges 26, 27, and 28, respectively. Barnum and Counihan were awarded the contracts to build the bridges at Cook's Run and over the Tamarack River. The Tamarack River bridge was completed in 1916 at a cost of $2,826.10. The bridge was the last link in the trunk line route—then known as the "Cloverland Trail"—and in July 1916 was the site of the formal dedication of the route.
In the 1920s the Cloverland Trail developed into US Highway 2, but by 1942 the segment crossing the Tamarack River had been realigned, and the old section redesignated as a Forest Road in the Ottawa National Forest. The Forest Route 157–Tamarack River Bridge still carries vehicular traffic, and is in essentially unaltered condition. The bridge is technologically significant as one of the two oldest concrete girder bridges designed by the Michigan State Highway Department.
Description
The main span of the Forest Route 157–Tamarack River Bridge is 50 feet (15 m) long and 19 feet (5.8 m) wide, with a roadway width of 17 feet (5.2 m). The bridge represents a standard 1915–16 Michigan State Highway Department design. The bridge consists of two concrete girders resting on concrete abutments with angled wingwalls. The bridge is modestly detailed, with recessed rectangular panels on the outside walls and bronze "Trunk Line Bridge" plates (since removed) on the girders' inside walls. It was demolished in the early 2010s.