Historic Bridges in Michigan

1,528 bridges built before 1951 in Michigan still in service today.

Bridges Built Before 1951

The United States has 1,528 bridges in Michigan built before 1951 that remain in active service. These structures are 75+ years old — many predate modern engineering codes and were not designed for today's traffic volumes and vehicle weights. The average design life of a bridge is 50 years, making these aging structures a significant infrastructure concern.

Clear
Bridge State Condition Year Built Age (Years) ADT
MCDUFFEE CREEK Michigan Fair 1934 92 800
BALTIMORE RIVER Michigan Fair 1934 92 1,122
MUSKEGON RIVER Michigan Fair 1934 92 4,700
UNCLE HENRY DRAIN Michigan Poor 1934 92 622
FORESTER CREEK Michigan Fair 1934 92 3,500
CHERRY CREEK Michigan Fair 1934 92 3,294
BIG CREEK Michigan Fair 1934 92 1,173
MILL CREEK Michigan Fair 1934 92 788
SMITHS CREEK Michigan Fair 1934 92 454
CASS RIVER Michigan Fair 1934 92 5,255
HURON & EASTERN RR Michigan Fair 1934 92 250
MDOT RR CORRIDOR Michigan Fair 1934 92 14,908
HURON RIVER Michigan Fair 1934 92 75
BLAKELY DRAIN Michigan Fair 1934 92 32,410
MIDDLE ROUGE RIVER Michigan Fair 1934 92 12,387
E N HINES DRIVE Michigan Fair 1934 92 12,387
N/BRANCH JOHNSON DRAIN Michigan Fair 1934 92 6,799
ELBA CANAL Michigan Poor 1934 92 1,000
UPPER ROUGE RIVER Michigan Poor 1934 92 4,000
MANISTEE RIVER Michigan Fair 1934 92 5,896
S BR RAISIN RIVER Michigan Fair 1934 92 7,560
MARINA OUTLET Michigan Fair 1934 92 1,500
BLACK RIVER Michigan Fair 1935 91 4,714
EAST BRANCH PINE RIVER Michigan Poor 1935 91 159
SUCKER RIVER Michigan Fair 1935 91 200
RABBIT RIVER Michigan Fair 1935 91 11,100
S BR PINE RIVER Michigan Fair 1935 91 7,706
SAVERINE CREEK Michigan Fair 1935 91 155
KAWKAWLIN RIVER Michigan Fair 1935 91 5,842
PINCONNING RIVER Michigan Poor 1935 91 393
COLD CREEK Michigan Poor 1935 91 2,681
GREENE CREEK Michigan Fair 1935 91 977
UPPER BLACK RIVER Michigan Poor 1935 91 1,500
S BR TOBACCO RIVER Michigan Fair 1935 91 7,472
S BR TOBACCO RIVER Michigan Fair 1935 91 7,472
AU SABLE RIVER Michigan Fair 1935 91 13,375
CANADIAN NATIONAL RR Michigan Fair 1935 91 8,019
W BR STURGEON RIVER Michigan Fair 1935 91 3,033
E BR ST JOSEPH OF MAUMEE Michigan Poor 1935 91 579
SILVER CREEK Michigan Fair 1935 91 70
SPRING CREEK Michigan Poor 1935 91 5,200
PORTAGE CREEK Michigan Poor 1935 91 360
PORTAGE CREEK Michigan Fair 1935 91 200
CEDAR CREEK Michigan Good 1935 91 3,725
GRATIOT RIVER Michigan Poor 1935 91 128
SOUTH BR. FLINT RIVER Michigan Good 1935 91 5,200
SILVER CREEK Michigan Fair 1935 91 1,253
N BR TWO HEARTED RIVER Michigan Poor 1935 91 10
BLACK RIVER Michigan Fair 1935 91 20
BOISE CREEK Michigan Fair 1935 91 50

About Historic Bridge Data

Bridges built before 1951 are classified as historic in this database. Many were designed to 1940s standards with lower load limits and narrower lanes. While FHWA requires regular inspections of all bridges regardless of age, older structures often require more frequent monitoring and rehabilitation investment.