Here's where it gets a bit confusing for me, or at least it did at first.
The article gives a total length of 1,642 feet, with a width of 20 feet, plus also sidewalks on each side that were each 6 feet wide.
Hyde's 1976 inventory, on the other hand, gave a total length of just 628 feet with an overall width of 35 feet. (For that matter, his listing didn't include a builder.)
Not much difference in the width, but the overall length? I suspect Hyde didn't include stretches on land in his calculation, whereas the article does. Plus also, the Independence Bridge that replaced it has a total length of 1,211.3 feet for the bascule and another 209 feet for the fixed span that goes over Water Street right to its south (total: 1,420.3 feet).
So, 1,642 feet sounds more likely.
Ha, I'll take that over a passing citation from 2011. Thanks Melissa!
Mike, I hope this helps.
This states that, like the Third Street and Cass Avenue bridges, this too was built by the Milwaukee Bridge and Iron Works:
https://www.mlive.com/news/bay-city/2011/03/history_of_bay_c...
I'm hoping to verify this either through the Historical Society or another source.
The Independence Bridge replaced the Belinda Street Bridge: http://www.baycitymi.org/resources/links/item/311-bay-city-b...
Also, the entry is quite clearly made for the 1893 swing bridge, not the bascule you sketched.
Maybe this bascule bridge replaced it.
You're welcome Mike !