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Gillett Bridge

Kent County, Michigan

Photos 

File:Grdowntown

Grguy2011

License: Public domain: Released by author

View this photo at Wikimedia Commons

BH Photo #317035

Map 

Street View 

Facts 

Overview
Closed-spandrel arch bridge over Grand River on Pedestrian walkway
Location
Grand Rapids, Kent County, Michigan
Status
Open to pedestrians only
Builder
- Fargo Engineering Co. of Kalamazoo, Michigan
Railroads
- Interurban
- Michigan Railway Co.
- Michigan United Railway (MUR)
- United Light & Railways (UL&R)
Design
Closed-spandrel arch
Dimensions
Total length: 472.0 ft.
Deck width: 27.0 ft.
Approximate latitude, longitude
+42.96754, -85.67584   (decimal degrees)
42°58'03" N, 85°40'33" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
16/607987/4758060 (zone/easting/northing)
Quadrangle map:
Grand Rapids West
Inventory number
BH 66254 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Categories 

Arch (12,661)
Built 1915 (1,259)
Built during 1910s (9,971)
Closed-spandrel arch (4,261)
Deck arch (11,898)
Fargo Engineering Co. (1)
Grand Rapids, Michigan (14)
Have street view (28,913)
Interurban (999)
 Kent County, Michigan (35)
Michigan (1,390)
Michigan Railway Co. (3)
Michigan United Railway (8)
Open to pedestrians (4,582)
Rail-to-trail (1,656)
Railroad (16,460)
Total length 250-500 feet (5,511)
United Light & Railways (27)

Update Log 

  • December 10, 2019: New Street View added by Geoff Hubbs
  • December 9, 2019: Updated by Mike Kerkau: Builder and year
  • April 8, 2015: Updated by Luke: Added categories "Rail-to-trail", "Michigan Railway Co.", "Interurban", "Railroad"
  • February 23, 2015: Added by Dave King

Sources 

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Comments 

Gillett Bridge
Posted December 10, 2019, by Mike Kerkau (mjkerkau [at] gmail [dot] com)

Ha, wow. So this was an actual rail bridge for just 13 years... O_o

I'd understand it a little more if it was in fact more like 1929-30 rather than 1928 - I.E. if the real reason it ended was due to the Depression. But to call it a day even before then?

Gillett Bridge
Posted December 9, 2019, by Luke

According to https://www.chicagorailfan.com/grrhist.html the Michigan Railroad Co. abandoned their private ROW in 1926 for streetcar routes, ultimately ending service in totality in 1928.

Gillett Bridge
Posted December 9, 2019, by Mike Kerkau (mjkerkau [at] gmail [dot] com)

Anyone know when Michigan Railway ceased operations? Had to have been by the 70s at the latest, Hyde's 1976 inventory already refers to this as serving pedestrian traffic.