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139th Avenue Bridge

139th Avenue Bridge

Primary Photographer(s): Nathan Holth

Bridge Documented: December 1, 2005 and March 11, 2007

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and Videos
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and Links

Facility Carried / Feature Intersected
139th Avenue Over Black Creek
Location
Rural: Allegan County, Michigan: United States
Construction Date and Builder / Engineer
1920 By Builder/Contractor: Unknown
Rehabilitation Date
Not Available or Not Applicable
Main Span Length
42.0 Feet (12.8 Meters)
Structure Length
44.0 Feet (13.4 Meters)
Roadway Width
16 Feet (4.88 Meters)
Spans
1 Main Span(s)
Inventory Number
03318H00007B010

Historic Significance Rating (HSR)
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Bridge Documentation

This bridge no longer exists!

View Archived National Bridge Inventory Report - Has Additional Details and Evaluation

This historic bridge was demolished in 2007, but some parts were reused for a mobile display!

This bridge was an intact example of small warren pony truss bridge construction. The connections on the bridge were riveted. Original simple channel railings remained on the bridge. The bridge had no v-lacing or lattice making it a relatively simple looking bridge. It was a good example of late truss bridge construction in Michigan, with a 1920 construction date. An Illinois steel brand was present on the top  chord of the bridge. The structure had appeared to have been closed within five years or so based on the lack of growth on the road leading up to the bridge when Allegan County decided to demolish and replace this quaint little bridge.

Sadly, this bridge was in severely poor condition from a feasibility of restoration standpoint. Large amounts of section loss was present on the bottom chord and several other portions of the truss structure. However, Vern Mesler, leading riveting researcher and historic bridge restoration expert was able to secure parts of this bridge's trusses and he restored a small section of one of the truss top chords and put it on a rolling cart, with all the parts of the bridge labeled, creating a mobile truss bridge display. A photo of the original historic bridge is part of the display so viewers know where it came from. It has been used annually at the Lansing Community College's Iron and Steel Preservation Conference as a display for attendees to learn about the parts of a truss bridge. So in this way, a part of the bridge lives on as a valuable teaching tool.

The replacement bridge is so ugly and plain it doesn't even look like a bridge, merely a section of roadway with guardrails. The proposed replacement bridge as was shown in the bid package is displayed below.


This bridge is tagged with the following special condition(s): Unorganized Photos

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Photo Galleries and Videos: 139th Avenue Bridge

 

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Bridge Photo-Documentation

A collection of overview and detail photos. This photo gallery contains a combination of Original Size photos and Mobile Optimized photos in a touch-friendly popup viewer.
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View Photo Gallery

Additional Unorganized Photos

Original / Full Size Photos
This photo gallery features older ca. 2003-2006 photos taken when the website only included a few photos in original size on the website, and a smaller quantity of reduced size photos as well. This unorganized gallery may partially duplicate photos in other galleries on this bridge's page, however all photos here are available in the Original / Full Size. This gallery offers photos in the highest available resolution and file size in a touch-friendly popup viewer.
Alternatively, Browse Without Using Viewer

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View Photo Gallery

Additional Unorganized Photos

Mobile Optimized Photos
This photo gallery features older ca. 2003-2006 photos taken when the website only included a few photos in original size on the website, and a smaller quantity of reduced size photos as well. This unorganized gallery may partially duplicate photos in other galleries on this bridge's page, however all photos here are available in the Original / Full Size. This gallery features data-friendly, fast-loading photos in a touch-friendly popup viewer.
Alternatively, Browse Without Using Viewer

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Maps and Links: 139th Avenue Bridge

This historic bridge has been demolished. This map is shown for reference purposes only.

Coordinates (Latitude, Longitude):

Search For Additional Bridge Listings:

Bridgehunter.com: View listed bridges within 0.5 miles (0.8 kilometers) of this bridge.

Bridgehunter.com: View listed bridges within 10 miles (16 kilometers) of this bridge.

HistoricBridges.org Bridge Browser: View listed bridges within 0.5 miles (0.8 kilometers) of this bridge.

HistoricBridges.org Bridge Browser: View listed bridges within 10 miles (16 kilometers) of this bridge.

2021 National Bridge Inventory: View listed bridges within 0.5 miles (0.8 kilometers) of this bridge.

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