County Road C117 – Pike River Bridge
Encyclopedia
The County Road C117 – Pike River Bridge is a steel stringer bridge located on County Road C117 (old US 41
) over the Pike River
just south of Chassell, Michigan
. The bridge was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1999.
passed the State Trunk Line Act, which authorized the creation of a series of trunkline highways throughout Michigan. One such line was a north–south route through the western counties of Michigan's Upper Peninsula (Keweenaw
, Houghton
, Ontonagon
, and Gogebic
counties), tying the northern tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula
to the UP's main east–west trunkline. The planned trunkline crossed both the Pike and Snake rivers near Chassell along the eastern side of the Keweenaw. The Michigan State Highway Department designed two 38 feet (11.6 m) steel stringer bridges, designated Trunk Line bridges number 8 and 9, to cross the two rivers. The contract to build the two bridges was awarded to the Houghton
-based Smith-Byers-Sparks Company in 1913, and the company completed construction of the bridges the next year.
By 1915, the trunkline highway had been nearly completed. In the 1920s, the route was incorporated into what is now US 41. In 1934, the nearby Snake River bride was replaced; US 41 was later rerouted near the Pike River, leaving the original trunk line bridge to service local traffic on the redesignated county road 117.
Standard paneled concrete guardrails are incorporated on each side of the bridge. One of the guardrails includes the cast words, "State Trunk Line Bridge 1914" and another, "Built by S-B-S Company Houghton."
The County Road C117 – Pike River Bridge is in excellent condition, and is essentially unaltered from when it was built. The bride was one of the first trunk line bridges built that used the Michigan State Highway Department's steel stringer configuration. Of the 22 total trunk line bridges the department listed in its 1913–1914 biennial report, almost half were stringer bridges, and of these Pike River Bridge is the only one to remain undemolished and unaltered. This bridge is thus significant as an early unaltered example of this important bridge structural type used in the Upper Peninsula's trunk line system.
U.S. Route 41 in Michigan
US Highway 41 is a part of the United States Numbered Highway System that runs from Miami, Florida, to the Upper Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. In Michigan, it is a state trunkline highway that enters the state via the Interstate Bridge between Marinette, Wisconsin, and Menominee,...
) over the Pike River
Pike River (Michigan)
The Pike River is a stream in Houghton County in the U.S. state of Michigan.The river begins in Portage Township at , flows northeast into Chassell Township, and empties into Pike Bay of Portage Lake at near the community of Chassell....
just south of Chassell, Michigan
Chassell, Michigan
Chassell is an unincorporated community in Chassell Township of Houghton County in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located on Pike Bay at the south end of Portage Lake and is the largest community in the township....
. The bridge was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1999.
History
In 1913, the state of MichiganMichigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
passed the State Trunk Line Act, which authorized the creation of a series of trunkline highways throughout Michigan. One such line was a north–south route through the western counties of Michigan's Upper Peninsula (Keweenaw
Keweenaw County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 2,301 people, 998 households, and 604 families residing in the county. The population density was 4 people per square mile . There were 2,327 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile...
, Houghton
Houghton County, Michigan
-National protected areas:* Keweenaw National Historical Park * Ottawa National Forest -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 36,016 people, 13,793 households, and 8,137 families residing in the county. The population density was 36 people per square mile . There were 17,748 housing...
, Ontonagon
Ontonagon County, Michigan
-National protected areas:* Keweenaw National Historical Park * Ottawa National Forest -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 7,818 people, 3,456 households, and 2,225 families residing in the county. The population density was 6 people per square mile . There were 5,404 housing units...
, and Gogebic
Gogebic County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 17,370 people, 7,425 households, and 4,581 families residing in the county. The population density was 16 people per square mile . There were 10,839 housing units at an average density of 10 per square mile...
counties), tying the northern tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula
Keweenaw Peninsula
The Keweenaw Peninsula is the northern-most part of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. It projects into Lake Superior and was the site of the first copper boom in the United States. As of the 2000 census, its population was roughly 43,200...
to the UP's main east–west trunkline. The planned trunkline crossed both the Pike and Snake rivers near Chassell along the eastern side of the Keweenaw. The Michigan State Highway Department designed two 38 feet (11.6 m) steel stringer bridges, designated Trunk Line bridges number 8 and 9, to cross the two rivers. The contract to build the two bridges was awarded to the Houghton
Houghton, Michigan
Houghton is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan's Upper Peninsula and largest city in the Copper Country on the Keweenaw Peninsula. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 7,708. It is the county seat of Houghton County...
-based Smith-Byers-Sparks Company in 1913, and the company completed construction of the bridges the next year.
By 1915, the trunkline highway had been nearly completed. In the 1920s, the route was incorporated into what is now US 41. In 1934, the nearby Snake River bride was replaced; US 41 was later rerouted near the Pike River, leaving the original trunk line bridge to service local traffic on the redesignated county road 117.
Desciption
The County Road C117 – Pike River Bridge has a main span 38 feet (11.6 m) long, with a structure width of 21.4 feet (6.5 m) and a roadway width of 19.1 feet (5.8 m). It is constructed of five rolled I-beams supported by concrete abutments at each end. The bridge was developed from a standard design, first delineated by the state highway department in 1905-1906. The steel stringer design was one of the first established by the department, and was used intermittently during the 1910s for relatively short spans.Standard paneled concrete guardrails are incorporated on each side of the bridge. One of the guardrails includes the cast words, "State Trunk Line Bridge 1914" and another, "Built by S-B-S Company Houghton."
The County Road C117 – Pike River Bridge is in excellent condition, and is essentially unaltered from when it was built. The bride was one of the first trunk line bridges built that used the Michigan State Highway Department's steel stringer configuration. Of the 22 total trunk line bridges the department listed in its 1913–1914 biennial report, almost half were stringer bridges, and of these Pike River Bridge is the only one to remain undemolished and unaltered. This bridge is thus significant as an early unaltered example of this important bridge structural type used in the Upper Peninsula's trunk line system.