National Register of Historic Places

Business Route M-21-Plaster Creek Bridge

Wyoming, Kent County, Michigan
Listed
December 17, 1999
Type
Structure
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
99001522

About this property

The Chicago Drive Bridge, also known as the Business Route M-21–Plaster Creek Bridge, is a bridge in Wyoming, Michigan, carrying Business Spur I-196 (BS I-196) over Plaster Creek. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999. In 1916, the Michigan State Highway Department designed what was then designated as Trunk line Bridge No. 58 to carry Chicago Drive (a state trunk line) over Plaster Creek. They hired Grand Rapids contractors Hilding and Rabe to construct the bridge at a cost of $13,146.55 (equivalent to $261,017 in 2024), which was shared with the Kent County Road Commission and the Grand Rapids Railway Company. The bridge was completed later that year, and until 1919 carried tracks for an interurban tram line. That year, the Grand Rapids Railway Company discontinued the line and removed the tracks. The bridge has served vehicular traffic since. The highway is part of Business Spur Interstate 196 (BS I-196). The Chicago Drive Bridge is a 60-foot-long (18 m), filled spandrel arch bridge. Each end of the bridge has massive concrete abutments, with an elliptically shaped arch running between. The arch features a tapered arch ring cast integrally with the concrete spandrel walls. The bridge is topped with an asphalt roadway with concrete sidewalks on each side. The guardrails are made of solid concrete with recessed rectangular panels. Bronze plates inscribed with "Trunk Line Bridge" are mounted on the inside walls of the guardrails.

Location

Wyoming, Kent County, Michigan
42.93595, -85.68728

Categories

ENGINEERINGTRANSPORTATION
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Metal Office Furniture Company (Steelcase) Plants No. 2 and 3
Industrial
0.7 mi
American Box Board Company Headquarters and Factory
Industrial
1.3 mi
Sligh Furniture Company Building
Industrial
1.5 mi
Division Avenue-Plaster Creek Bridge
Industrial
1.6 mi
Central Furniture Company-H.E. Shaw Furniture Company Factory
Industrial
1.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was Business Route M-21-Plaster Creek Bridge listed on the National Register?

Business Route M-21-Plaster Creek Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 17, 1999.

What type of historic resource is Business Route M-21-Plaster Creek Bridge?

Business Route M-21-Plaster Creek Bridge is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Business Route M-21-Plaster Creek Bridge?

The period of significance for Business Route M-21-Plaster Creek Bridge is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Business Route M-21-Plaster Creek Bridge?

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