US 2–Iron River Bridge


The US 2–Iron River Bridge, also known as the Genesee Street Bridge, is a bridge located on Genesee Street over the Iron River in Iron River, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.

History

The village of Iron River was platted in 1881 along the Iron River. The river itself flowed through the center of town, and was an impediment to travel between the two sides of town. The first bridge spanning the river here was built in the 19th century; however, the boom in Iron River's population in the early 20th century, in addition to the designation of a state trunk line through Iron River, put a strain on the original structure. In the mid-1910s, the village requested the Michigan State Highway Department design a replacement. The department designed this structure, designating it Trunk Line Bridge No. 191, and awarded a contract for its construction to the Hoose and Person Construction Company. Hoose and Person completed the bridge in 1917 at a cost of $20,343.16, of which the village of Iron River paid approximately two-thirds. In the 1920s, the trunk line through Iron River was incorporated into US 2.
In 1998, US-2 was relocated, and the section where this bridge stands left to carry local traffic.

Description

The Iron River bridge is a filled spandrel arch bridge long and wide, with a roadway width of. It has a tapered ring arch, corbeled slightly from the spandrel. Concrete guardrails with incised panels are on each side. The bridge is in essentially unaltered condition.