The Canyon Falls Bridge is a bridge located on U.S. Route 41

U.S. Route 41

U.S. Route 41 is a north–south United States Highway that runs from Miami, Florida to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Until 1949, the part in southern Florida, from Naples to Miami, was U.S...

 over the Sturgeon River

Sturgeon River (Houghton County, Michigan)

Sturgeon River is a river in Baraga County and Houghton County counties in the U.S. state of Michigan. of the river were added to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System in 1992.-Description:...

 in L'Anse Township, Michigan

L'Anse Township, Michigan

L'Anse Township is a civil township of Baraga County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 3,926. Mount Arvon and Mount Curwood, the highest and second highest points in Michigan are located in the township....

. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

 in 1999.

History

During 1947-48, the Michigan State Highway Department contracted for the construction of eleven different trunkline bridges in the Upper Peninsula. Five of these bridges were required due to the reconstruction of US-41. The Canyon Falls bridge was designated Bridge No. B2 of 7-4-5 C2 by the MSHD. The steel arch bridge was designed by MSHD engineers and constructed for $116,389.42, plus an additional $58,200 for structural steel. The Canyon Falls bridge was completed in the summer of 1948, and has remained in use in essentially unaltered condition since.

This bridge is significant because the steel arch design is relatively rare in the state, due largely to the fact that few rivere crossings afforded the reuired vertical distance. The Canyon Falls Bridge is a visually striking construction, representing the Highway Department's focus on aesthetics.

Description

The Canyon Falls Bridge is constructed of a two-hinged, girder-ribbed arch set of the the Sturgeon River. The span is 128 feet long, with 52-foot appraoch spans on each end for an overall structure length of 232 feet. Five ribs support a 45.4-foot wide deck, of which 38 feet is used for the asphalt roadway. The ribs rest on massive concrete pedestals.

The configuration of the bridge is highly simplified, with some minimal decoration on ancillary components. Guardrails have ornamental steel rails and balusters, and a decorative concrete pylon tops each arch pedestal. The appearance of the pylons and the profile of hte arched ribs gives the bridge a distinctive Art Moderne look.