National Register of Historic Places

Parke Lane Road-Thorofare Canal Bridge

Grosse Ile, Wayne County, Michigan
Listed
February 4, 2000
Type
Structure
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
00000043

About this property

The Parke Lane Road–Thorofare Canal Bridge is a bridge located on Parke Lane Road over the Thorofare Canal in Grosse Ile, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. Some time near the beginning of the twentieth century, Grosse Ile Township constructed a hand-operated swing bridge at the intersection of Park Road (now Parke Lane) with the Thorofare Canal. However, by 1929, the old bridge was deteriorating and the increasing volume of traffic and weight of vehicles had rendered the lightweight swing bridge obsolete. In 1929/1930, the Wayne County Road Commission replaced the old bridge with a concrete cantilevered-arch span. The bridge was eventually heavily damaged and closed. The Parke Lane Road–Thorofare Canal Bridge is 99 feet long, with a span length of 51 feet and a width of 36 feet. The bridge itself is of a rare cantilevered concrete arch design. The traditional arch bridge design requires a complete arch; in contrast, the cantilevered arch design is divided into two structurally independent half-arches which are each cantilevered from one side. A slab is suspended between the two cantilevered sections; in the Parke Lane Road–Thorofare Canal Bridge, this section is 18 feet long. Close inspection of the sidewalls of the bridge reveals two seams marking the end of the cantilevered arms. A concrete balustrade with urn-shaped spindles runs along each side of the roadway, terminating at each end in an octagonal lamp stand. Orange pebble aggregate is included in the spindle concrete mix for color and texture. This bridge is significant as an outstanding product of the Wayne County Road Commission's bridge engineers because of its aesthetically pleasing design matched to the surroundings and as a representative of the unusual concrete cantilevered-arch construction. Parke Lane Bridge from HistoricBridges.org: Multiple photographs of the bridge Parke Lane Road Bridge from Detroit1701.org: More photographs

Location

Grosse Ile, Wayne County, Michigan
42.16804, -83.14390

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

St. James Episcopal Church
Industrial
0.4 mi
McKinley Elementary School
Industrial
2.1 mi
Ferry Stree-Thorofare Canal Bridge
Modern
2.2 mi
Wyandotte Odd Fellows Temple
Industrial
2.6 mi
First Congregational Church
Industrial
2.7 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Maguaga (Monguagon)
1812Early Republic
1.7 mi
Battle of Monguagon / Maguaga (Aug 9 1812)
1812Early Republic
3.1 mi
Battle of Brownstown
1812Early Republic
5.8 mi
Battle of Maguaga (August 9, 1812)
1812Early Republic
6 mi

Questions about this property

When was Parke Lane Road-Thorofare Canal Bridge listed on the National Register?

Parke Lane Road-Thorofare Canal Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 4, 2000.

What type of historic resource is Parke Lane Road-Thorofare Canal Bridge?

Parke Lane Road-Thorofare Canal Bridge is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Parke Lane Road-Thorofare Canal Bridge?

The period of significance for Parke Lane Road-Thorofare Canal Bridge is recorded as the industrial era.

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