The Jefferson Avenue–Huron River and Harbin Drive–Silver Creek Canal Bridges are two separate bridges, sharing a continuous railing,[2] that were jointly listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 10, 2000.[1]
The larger of the two bridges is the three-span Jefferson Avenue Bridge. It is 165 feet (50 m) long and 36 feet (11 m) wide. It carries a two-lane road, known as West Jefferson Avenue north of the river and as the U.S. Turnpike south of the river. It was built in 1930 by the Michigan Department of Transportation and replaced an earlier hand drawn swing bridge.[2][4] The new beam bridge was built high enough to ensure it could remain stationary and still allow small vessels to pass beneath it. Due to its age, the bridge's structure has deteriorated in recent years, but the driving road surface was repaired as recently as 2016.[3]
Harbin Drive Bridge
Harbin Drive Bridge
The Harbin Drive Bridge is a much smaller bridge at only 45 feet (14 m) long and 27 feet (8.2 m) wide. It carries the sparsely traveled Harbin Drive over the Silver Creek Canal, which drains into the Huron River. It is located just north of the Jefferson Avenue Bridge, and the two are connected by a continuous railing. The Harbin Drive Bridge was actually constructed a few years earlier than the Jefferson Avenue Bridge, although this exact construction date is unknown. Harbin Drive is a gravel road that connects a few residential dwellings on a narrow island in the river.[2]
^ abcStaff (2009). "Jefferson Avenue Bridge". State Historic Preservation Office. Michigan State Housing Development Authority. Archived from the original on May 5, 2012. Retrieved July 10, 2010.
