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Parke Lane Road – Thorofare Canal Bridge
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East side of bridge
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| Location: | Parke Lane Rd. over Thorofare Ch., Grosse Ile, Michigan |
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| Area: | less than one acre |
| Built: | 1929 |
| Built by: | Gossner and Flynn |
| Architect: | Wayne County Road Commission |
| Architectural style: | concrete arch bridge |
| Governing body: | Local |
| MPS: | Highway Bridges of Michigan MPS |
| NRHP Reference#: | 00000043[1] |
| Added to NRHP: | February 04, 2000 |
The Parke Lane Road – Thorofare Canal Bridge is a bridge located on Parke Lane Road over the Thorofare Canal in Grosse Ile, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.[1][2]
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Some time near the beginning of the twentieth century, Grosse Ile Township constructed a hand-operated swing bridge at the intersection of Park Road (now Parke Lane) with the Thorofare Canal.[3] However, by 1929, the old bridge was deteriorating[2] and the increasing volume of traffic and weight of vehicles had rendered the lightweight swing bridge obsolete. In 1929/1930, the Wayne County Road Commission replaced the old bridge with a concrete cantilevered-arch span.[3]
The Parke Lane Road – Thorofare Canal Bridge is 99 feet long, with span length of 51 feet and width of 36 feet.[2] The bridge itself is of a rare cantilevered concrete arch design.[4] The traditional arch bridge design requires a complete arch; in contrast, the cantilevered arch design is divided into two structurally independent half-arches which are each cantilevered from one side.[4] A slab is suspended between the two cantilevered sections; in the Parke Lane Road – Thorofare Canal Bridge, this section is 18 feet long.[4] Close inspection of side walls of the bridge reveals two seams marking the end of the cantilevered arms.[4]
A concrete balustrade with urn-shaped spindles runs along each side of the roadway, terminating at each end in an octagonal lamp stand.[2] Orange pebble aggregate is included in the spindle concrete mix for color and texture.[2]
This bridge is significant as an outstanding product of the Wayne County Road Commission's bridge engineers because of its aesthetically pleasing design matched to the surroundings and as a representative of the unusual concrete cantilevered-arch construction.[3]
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