Lake Leelanau Narrows Bridge

Lake Leelanau Narrows Bridge
Lake Leelanau Narrows Bridge is located in Michigan
Lake Leelanau Narrows Bridge
LocationM-204 over Lake Leelanau Narrows, Leland Township, Michigan
Coordinates44°58′53″N 85°42′42″W / 44.98139°N 85.71167°W / 44.98139; -85.71167
Arealess than one acre
Built1939 (1939)
Built byHillding Construction Co.
ArchitectMichigan State Highway Department
Architectural styleSteel I-beam stringer
MPSHighway Bridges of Michigan MPS
NRHP reference No.99001732[1]
Added to NRHPJanuary 27, 2000

The Lake Leelanau Narrows Bridge is a bridge located on M-204 over Lake Leelanau Narrows in Leland Township, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.[1]

History

Lake Leelanau was a major impediment to east-west travel since this area was first settled in the mid-1800s.[2] A wooden bridge was erected over the narrows in 1864; a replacement metal truss bridge was constructed in 1894–1895. In 1939, the Michigan State Highway Department decided to replace the aging truss bridge to help support the local tourist economy. They built this new bridge about 200 yards north. The bridge project was part of the Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works, which provided jobs in the Great Depression through funding public infrastructure projects.

Description

The Lake Leelanau Narrows Bridge is a three-span structure crossing the narrowest part of the 15-mile-long (24 km) Lake Leelanau.[2] Each span is 60 feet (18 m) long and consists of nine rolled steel beams, sitting on concrete mid-stream piers and skewed end abutments. The base of each pier are formed into pointed cutwaters at each end. Four posts on each pier support the bridge, with the exterior post ending with a graceful Streamline Moderne curve. A similar curve is apparent on the concrete railing posts above. The deck of the bridge is 38 feet (12 m) wide, with sidewalks on each side of the roadway.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ a b "Lake Leelanau Narrows Bridge". Historic Sites Online. Michigan State Housing Development Authority. Archived from the original on February 18, 2014. Retrieved January 31, 2014.