S T E E C O U N I N A T Y M How can you not love the beauty and engineering that goes into these amazing structures? Manistee County is home to 3 vehicular, 3 railroad and 1 massive pedestrian bridge along with 2 hydroelec- tric dams and 1 egg-take/salmon harvest weir. If you are a fan of these beautiful structures and appreciate the engineering, you are sure to enjoy this self-guided tour throughout Manistee County. VISITMANISTEECOUNTY A ONE DAY TRIP TO THE Manistee BRIDGES & DAMS Lake OF MANISTEE COUNTY VisitManisteeCounty.com MAPLE STREET SWING BRIDGE: 1873 THE FIRST IRON BRIDGE WITH A 160’ SPAN BUILT FOR A COST OF $18,000 East St SMITH STREET BRIDGE: 1894 HAND OPERATED, DRUM BEARING SWING BRIDGE THAT EXISTED PRIOR TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CURRENT MEMORIAL BRIDGE S T E E C O U N I N A T Y M VISITMANISTEECOUNTY VisitManisteeCounty.com START Road. Take Eastlake Road all the way into the Village of Stronach. Here you will turn East on Stronach Road where you will see the Begin your Bridges and Dams tour in the heart of downtown Manistee at the Swing Bridge - which can be viewed from the second location on the Memorial railroad crossing. Approximately 500’ down the tracks (Southeast) you Bridge - which is the US31/Big Manistee River crossing. will come across the Stronach Railroad Bridge. SWING BRIDGE 1 Joyfield Lindy Rd. St. Pierre Rd Taylor Rd Putney N. Countyline Rd. Taylor Rd Swanson Rd Thompsonville GPS: 44.251572, -86.317858 Rd. Thompsonville Letteau Rd Letteau Moore Rd Simpson Rd 22 Dzulbanek Rd 115 Nurmberger Rd Nessen City Rd. Kurick Rd. Kurick Marilla Rd. Marilla This Swing Bridge services the Marquette Glovers Lake Rd 31 Viaduct Rd 1 Glovers Lake Rd Glovers Springdale Rd. Rail system across the Manistee River. This Lake Faylor Rd Litzen Rd Arcadia Erwin Rd Arcadia Lake Keillor Rd Copemish NORTH Lumley Rd Erdman Rd Lumley Rd Copemish plate girder swing bridge is a rare structure Rd Butwell Glovers Lake Rd Healy Lake Rd. Lake Healy Dam Pond Read Rd Big 4 Rd 4 Big type in Michigan, and is one of the few St. Pierre Rd NORTH COAST Alkire Rd Norconk Rd Rice Rd remaining functional bridges in the state. Norconk Rd Rd Yates Plagany Rd Steffens Rd Bear Creek Thompsonville Rd 2 Watching one of the 600’+ Great Lakes Gear Rd Churchill Rd Valencourt Rd Lakeview Rd Bear Beall Rd Healy 13 Mile Rd Lake shipping liners navigate this tight opening is a Lake 13 Mile Rd. WOODS Milarch Rd 115 Erdman Rd 13 Mile Rd 13 Mile Rd sight to see. The bridge is still in good Potter Rd Lemon Bear Lake Potter Rd Lake working order today and is an intersection 22 Benton Rd Erwin Rd 11 MIle Rd 11 MIle Rd Rd Niemi Anderson Rd Anderson point for the area’s industrial rail freight and Litzen Rd Chief Rd Chief Big 4 Rd 4 Big Hulls Rd Jouppi Rd Jouppi 31 Lindroos Rd Rd. Marilla Maidens Rd 3 shipping. Herkelrath Rd Gordons Lake Horseshoe Creek Rd Creek Horseshoe Maidens Rd Ziehm Rd Ziehm Salma Bigge Rd Point Dr. Lake Bigge Rd Portage Kaleva Creamery Rd 9 Mile Road Erwin Rd Beers Rd N.Hodenpyle Dam Rd Hodenpyle10 If you are gazing out to view the Swing 9 Mile Rd. Dam Pond Tannerville Rd 11 Elm Rd Portage 8 Mile Rd Puustinen Rd Marilla Bridge, you are probably standing atop the 2nd Onekama Anderson Rd Milks Rd Lake Lake Lake Wiitala Rd Wilson Rd Sweets Crescent Emma Balsam Rd Ravine Rd Milarch Rd Beach Rd Lenz Rd Hodenpyle Rd attraction on the tour, the Memorial Bridge. Lyman Rd Chief Lake Johnson Rd Michigan Rd Farnsworth 22 Feldhak Rd W. 26 Rd Pole Rd High Bridge Rd. Bridge High Miller Rd Kerry Rd Tompke Rd Tompke MEMORIAL BRIDGE Collins Rd Clarence Lake No. 1 Rd Brewer Rd Big Manistee River Schoedel Rd Coates Hwy. Upper River Rd. Clements Rd Clements Slagle Creek Rd Kettner Rd Dickson W. 33 Rd GPS: 44.250327, -86.319124 8BrethrenLake Bar Lake Rd Cottage Creek Rd 31 River Rd N. Coates Hwy Piney Rd Griffith Rd Constructed in 1933, the Memorial 2 Rd Swihart Flarity Rd Bar Lake Rd Keith Arquil Creek Rd. Kott Rd Dontz Rd Bear Creek Warfield Rd Bridge is the second bridge Rd Dilling Brethren Hwy Dickson Rd Hill Rd Hill Lagerquist Rd River Rd River Rd constructed connecting the north and Upper River Rd Becker Rd W. 34 1/2 Rd 4 9 south sides of Manistee. Its double leafe Big Manistee River Old House Rd 37 1 Guenthardt Rd RIVER COUNTRY King Rd King 3 Rd Oaks Glen Chicago Ave Seaman Rd electric bascule construction was cutting edge MANISTEEClaybank Tippy Peterson Creek Rd 2 Dam N. Baker Rd Pine Creek Rd Lake N.Tippy Dam Rd Tower Line Rd Pond River St. S. Claybank Rd Pomeroy Rd Pomeroy during its construction and is known 55 Horseshoe Bend Rd Warfield Rd S. Michigan Rd Manistee AREA Cedar Creek Rd Rd Moss Eastlake throughout the state as one of the most exten- Huff Rd Husier Rd Merkey Rd Filer City Rd 55 7 Steinberg Rd Manistee Rd Skocelas 55 sively decorated bascule bridges in Michigan. Snyder Rd Lake 5 Round StronachSteinberg Rd Rd 9 Mile Bridge Rd Steinberg Rd Wellston Lake Stronach Rd Fire Tower Rd Stronach Red Arrow Arrow Rd Red Dam Rd Little Manistee River Red Apple Rd Preuss Rd Old Stronach Rd Pine Lake Rd Dorner Pine River The bridge recently underwent substantial 6 Koon Rd Bosschem Rd Lake Seaman Rd. Maple Rd 31 Udell Hills Rd Laverne Rd Fox Farm Rd Rd Custer N Pine Linke Rd rehabilitation to preserve the ornate art deco RIVER Rd Madison Lake Camp Rd Hoxeyville Rd. elements that make this bridge one of the W. County Line Rd. 9 Mile Bridge Rd Quarterline Rd. COUNTRY Dublin most spectacular in Michigan. E. Co. Line Rd W. 12 Mile Rd Darr Rd Continuing west along River Street, you will wooden swing bridge. The first bridge was MANISTEE RIVER enjoy the historic architecture of downtown constructed on this site in 1866, and has been Manistee on your way to the second bridge in a lifeline between north and south Manistee TRAIN BRIDGE 4 Manistee. If you want to explore the bridges ever since. One of the most unique charac- GPS: 44.248344, -86.323673 in greater detail, you can make your way to the teristics about this bridge is the single massive riverfront where you can walk the Riverwalk roller bearing for the approach and spans. The Manistee River Train Bridge is a classic along all of Downtown Manistee. Even though this bridge lacks the same truss bridge used for years to transport pedes- architectural characteristics of the Memorial trians and freight across rivers and gorges. MAPLE STREET Bridge just up the river, it is still a unique This bridge, perhaps not unique to the BRIDGE bridge with a unique and interesting history. untrained eye, has many unique architectural 3 details such as the dropped bottom truss GPS: 44.248344, -86.323673 Cross the Maple Street Bridge and make your chord and unusual detailing on the bridges way to US-31 North. Traveling approximate- struts. The best location to view this bridge is It’s the fourth bridge that has been constructed ly 3 miles down US-31, you will reach the from the parking area in the Instalaunch crossing the Manistee River at Maple Street. Instalaunch Cabins and Campground. Turn- Campground area. The Maple Street Bridge is a double leafe ing into this area, you will be able to view the electric bascule bridge and was constructed in Manistee River Train Bridge, the next stop on Continue North on US-31 to the M-55 1962 replacing two iron swing bridges and a the self-guided tour. intersection and proceed east to Eastlake S T E E C O U N I N A T Y M VISITMANISTEECOUNTY VisitManisteeCounty.com Road. Take Eastlake Road all the way into the Village of Stronach. denotes the are where the former structure once stood. High Bridge was Just to the north and west of the dam, you will find the “Little Mac” Here you will turn East on Stronach Road where you will see the contructed in 1889 for the Chicago and West Michigan Railway. At the pedestrian foot bridge that spans the Big Manistee River and connects railroad crossing. Approximately 500’ down the tracks (Southeast) you time of its construction, it was the highest rail bridge in all of Michigan. the Manistee River Trail and North Country Trail loop. You can hike will come across the Stronach Railroad Bridge. By the early 1910s, the bridge was owned by the Pere Marquette down the footpath from the dam to get here, or drive to Upper River Railroad and went from Grand Rapids to Traverse City. It was later Road, just off of Hodenpyl Dam Road and park in the parking area and STRONACH RAIL BRIDGE 5 acquired by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad. In the late 1940s a walk down to the bridge. GPS: 44.210028, -86.267776 different route was established and the structure was dissesembled in the fall of 1955. Constructed in 1887, the Stronach Rail Bridge is one of the oldest bridges still in service. Its main span is 124 feet and is frequently used by CSX Rail. The bridge’s classic lines highlight a typical v-lacing bridge TIPPY DAM 9 structure, however, a unique feature are the wooden abutments that are GPS: 44.259917, -85.942671 still intact to this day.