The US 12 Bridges are two bridges carrying US Highway 12

U.S. Route 12 in Michigan

US Highway 12 is a US Highway that runs from Aberdeen, Washington to Detroit, Michigan. In the US state of Michigan it runs for . Previous to the creation of Interstate Highways in Michigan, US 12 ran along Michigan Avenue between Kalamazoo and Detroit, a highway corridor now served by I-94...

 (US 12) over Interstate 94

Interstate 94 in Michigan

Interstate 94 is a part of the Interstate Highway System that runs from Billings, Montana, to the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. In Michigan, it is a state trunkline highway that enters the state south of New Buffalo...

 (I-84) and the westbound I-94 ramp in Dearborn, Michigan

Dearborn, Michigan

-Economy:Ford Motor Company has its world headquarters in Dearborn. In addition its Dearborn campus contains many research, testing, finance and some production facilities. Ford Land controls the numerous properties owned by Ford including sales and leasing to unrelated businesses such as the...

. They were listed 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 2000.

History

The utility of constructing a cross-town expressway through Detroit was recognized as early as the 1920s. Planning continued off and on through the early 1940s, when the state began anticipating post-war projects. Originally called the "Crosstown Expressway," the Detroit City Council approved a petition to rename the proposed stretch the "Edsel Ford Expressway" in April 1946. The 14 miles (22.5 km) Edsel Ford would ultimately require the construction of over 70 structures, of which the US-12 bridges are two.

Work began on the freeway in 1948, starting on the Detroit–Dearborn border, with the US 12 bridges being the first structures opened for bidding. The firm of Darin & Armstrong won the construction contract with a bid of $925,000, and began work in August 1948. The bridges were completed by August 1949.A ribbon cutting ceremony, presided over by State Highway Commissioner Charles Ziegler, was held on August 17.

Description

Of the two bridges, the span over I-94 is the longer. The shorter span over the westbound I-94 ramp is 50 feet (15.2 m) long and 90 feet (27.4 m) wide. The bridge has eighteen stringers, more closely spaced in the center of the deck to support what once was a streetcar line. Channels are laid over and riveted onto the srtingers. The railing, installed in 1967, has a presact base and horizontal pipe.