Mud Creek Bridge
Photos
West elevation
Courtesy of Gogebic Road Commission
License: Released into public domain
BH Photo #548200
Description
From what can be found on Google Streetview, this is a steel stringer with R4 railing, built in the very first year of the R4 railing. This bridge may potentially be a transition-style bridge that has concrete-encased outer stringer, like the no-longer existing Berry Road Bridge and the 108th Street Bridge (see https://historicbridges.org/bridges/browser/?bridgebrowser=m... and https://historicbridges.org/bridges/browser/?bridgebrowser=m...).A future site visit with photos by anyone available to verify would be greatly appreciated!
Facts
- Overview
- Steel stringer bridge over Mud Creek on Lake Road
- Location
- Gogebic County, Michigan
- Status
- Open to traffic
- History
- Built 1932
- Design
- Steel stringer
- Dimensions
-
Length of largest span: 37.7 ft.
Total length: 41.0 ft.
Deck width: 28.9 ft.
- Approximate latitude, longitude
- +46.56970, -90.17673 (decimal degrees)
46°34'11" N, 90°10'36" W (degrees°minutes'seconds") - Approximate UTM coordinates
- 15/716353/5161221 (zone/easting/northing)
- Average daily traffic (as of 1998)
- 368
- Inventory numbers
- MINEW 02981 (Michigan bridge number on the National Bridge Inventory 2011 and later)
BH 98534 (Bridgehunter.com ID) - Inspection report (as of September 2018)
- Overall condition: Fair
Superstructure condition rating: Fair (5 out of 9)
Substructure condition rating: Satisfactory (6 out of 9)
Deck condition rating: Fair (5 out of 9)
Sufficiency rating: 84 (out of 100)
View more at BridgeReports.com
Update Log
- January 12, 2023: New photos from Jason Holloway
- January 12, 2023: Updated by Paul Plassman: Added category "R4 railing"
- June 13, 2022: New Street View added by Jason Holloway
Comments
To clarify, the 108th street and Berry road bridges both had complete concrete fascias covering the outside stingers.
I believe that Mud Creek shows the upper portion of the fascia still present, the rest "cut off."
Mike-it appears possible, just unusual if it is, being that this bridge dates to 1934, two years after the changeover, interesting find! Same county, both bridges have the first generation R4 posts, and both appear to have the upper portion of the outermost stringers partially concrete covered, almost as if Gogebic County Road Commission used a saw to cut off the concrete encasement so that the outer stringers can be inspected?
After viewing the photos from the Gogebic County Road Commission, it does appear to be a transition bridge between the 1927-1932 concrete balustrade railing standard and the then-new R4 railing design. This appears to be one of only three known transition bridges between those standards, and is the only one known standing today.
Again, a detailed photo shoot from any Yoopers would be greatly appreciated!
This page's URL is http://bridgehunter.com/mi/gogebic/mud-creek/
One more comment, Mike, Nathan's website mentions a 1934 construction date, but also acknowledges the NBI showing a 1930 construction date.
1930 would be outside the assumed date range of the R4 style, but could this be a prototype if the date of 1930 is correct? We may never know.
I do see remnants of the "post" on the fascia extending below the concrete posts on the deck, looking very similar to 108th and Berry then-present full fascia documented by Nathan.