US 12 Bridges
National Register of Historic Places

US 12 Bridges

Dearborn, Wayne County, Michigan
Listed
February 4, 2000
Type
Structure
Period
Modern
Ref No.
00000041

About this property

The US 12 Bridges are two bridges carrying U.S. Route 12 (US 12) over Interstate 94 (I-94) and the westbound I-94 ramp in Dearborn, Michigan. They were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. The utility of constructing a cross-town expressway through Detroit was recognized as early as the 1920s. Planning continued off and on through the early 1940s, when the state began anticipating post-war projects. Originally called the "Crosstown Expressway," the Detroit City Council approved a petition to rename the proposed stretch the "Edsel Ford Expressway" in April 1946. The 14-mile (23 km) Edsel Ford would ultimately require the construction of over 70 structures, of which the US-12 bridges are two. Work began on the freeway in 1948, starting on the Detroit–Dearborn border, with the US 12 bridges being the first structures opened for bidding. The firm of Darin & Armstrong won the construction contract with a bid of $925,000, and began work in August 1948. The bridges were completed by August 1949. A ribbon cutting ceremony, presided over by State Highway Commissioner Charles Ziegler, was held on August 17. Of the two bridges, the span over I-94 is the longer. The shorter span over the westbound I-94 ramp is 50 feet (15 m) long and 90 feet (27 m) wide. The bridge has eighteen stringers, more closely spaced in the center of the deck to support what once was a streetcar line. Channels are laid over and riveted onto the stringers. The railing, installed in 1967, has a precast base and horizontal pipe. List of bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Michigan National Register of Historic Places listings in Wayne County, Michigan

Location

Dearborn, Wayne County, Michigan
42.32620, -83.16188

Categories

ENGINEERINGTRANSPORTATIONCOMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
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

Dearborn City Hall Complex
Listed
0.9 mi
Ford River Rouge Complex
Listed
1.5 mi
West Vernor-Lawndale Historic District
Listed
1.9 mi
West Vernor-Springwells Historic District
Modern
2.1 mi
West Side Dom Polski
Industrial
2.6 mi

Nearby Battles

Surrender of Fort Detroit
1812Early Republic
5.9 mi

Questions about this property

When was US 12 Bridges listed on the National Register?

US 12 Bridges was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 4, 2000.

What type of historic resource is US 12 Bridges?

US 12 Bridges is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for US 12 Bridges?

The period of significance for US 12 Bridges is recorded as the modern era.

Can I research the history near US 12 Bridges?

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