Liberty Bridge (Bay City, Michigan)

Last updated
Liberty Bridge
Libertybridge.jpg
Coordinates 43°36′17″N83°53′26″W / 43.60466°N 83.8905°W / 43.60466; -83.8905
Crosses Saginaw River
Locale Bay City, Michigan
Official nameLiberty Bridge
Maintained byBay City Bridge Partners
Characteristics
Design Bascule bridge
History
Opened1986
Statistics
Daily traffic 20,000 vehicles per day (approx.) [1]
Location
Liberty Bridge (Bay City, Michigan)

The Liberty Bridge is a bascule-type drawbridge located in Bay City, Michigan, United States. It spans the Saginaw River and connects Vermont Street (on the west side of the river) and Woodside Avenue (on the east side). It was built in 1986. [1] Starting June 16, 2023, an electronic toll is charged to motorists either through their BC-Pass, [2] E-ZPass transponder, or via license plate photo. [3] [4]

Contents

History

Third Street Bridge, the Liberty Bridge's predecessor, with Sage Mill in background, 1918. The bridge collapsed in 1976 after being hit by a freighter. Bay County past and present (1918) (14593126068).jpg
Third Street Bridge, the Liberty Bridge's predecessor, with Sage Mill in background, 1918. The bridge collapsed in 1976 after being hit by a freighter.

The Liberty Bridge was built to replace the Third Street Bridge, a small swing bridge located just south of the Liberty Bridge connecting Midland and Third Streets. The Third Street Bridge was the first bridge built across the Saginaw River in Bay City. It was originally built as a wooden bridge in 1864 by the Bay City Bridge Company. Its superstructure was reconstructed with iron and steel in 1872. [5]

On June 18, 1976, the swing span of the Third Street Bridge collapsed as it was being opened, forcing the bridge out of service permanently. It had been struck by a vessel the evening before. A debate ensued on where to build a replacement bridge. In order to receive federal funding, the new bridge was required to have four lanes. A four-lane bridge at the same site would have necessitated the demolition of some historic buildings. As a result, the Liberty Bridge was built just north of the old bridge site, connecting Woodside Avenue and Vermont Street. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dumbarton Bridge (California)</span> Southernmost bridge crossing the San Francisco Bay

The Dumbarton Bridge is the southernmost of the highway bridges across San Francisco Bay in California. Carrying over 70,000 vehicles and about 118 pedestrian and bicycle crossings daily, it is the shortest bridge across San Francisco Bay at 1.63 miles. Its eastern end is in Fremont, near Newark in the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, and its western end is in Menlo Park. Bridging State Route 84 across the bay, it has three lanes each way and a separated bike/pedestrian lane along its south side. Like the San Mateo Bridge to the north, power lines parallel the bridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bay City, Michigan</span> City in Michigan, United States

Bay City is a city in and the county seat of Bay County, Michigan, United States. The population was 32,661 as of the 2020 census. The city is located just upriver from Saginaw Bay on the Saginaw River. It is the principal city of the Bay City metropolitan area, which is coterminous with Bay County as part of the larger Greater Tri-Cities region of Central Michigan. Several historic bridges cross the Saginaw River in Bay City, including Liberty Bridge, Veterans Memorial Bridge, Independence Bridge, and Lafayette Avenue Bridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 278</span> Interstate Highway in New Jersey and New York

Interstate 278 (I-278) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway in New Jersey and New York in the United States. The road runs 35.62 miles (57.32 km) from US Route 1/9 (US 1/9) in Linden, New Jersey, northeast to the Bruckner Interchange in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The majority of I-278 is in New York City, where it serves as a partial beltway and passes through all five of the city's boroughs. I-278 follows several freeways, including the Union Freeway in Union County, New Jersey; the Staten Island Expressway (SIE) across Staten Island; the Gowanus Expressway in southern Brooklyn; the Brooklyn–Queens Expressway (BQE) across Northern Brooklyn and Queens; a small part of the Grand Central Parkway in Queens; and a part of the Bruckner Expressway in the Bronx. I-278 also crosses multiple bridges, including the Goethals, Verrazzano-Narrows, Kosciuszko, and Robert F. Kennedy bridges.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swing bridge</span> Bridge that rotates horizontally around a vertical axis

A swing bridge is a movable bridge that can be rotated horizontally around a vertical axis. It has as its primary structural support a vertical locating pin and support ring, usually at or near to its center of gravity, about which the swing span can then pivot horizontally as shown in the animated illustration to the right.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M-13 (Michigan highway)</span> State highway in Michigan, United States

M-13 is a 73.339-mile (118.028 km) north–south state trunkline highway that runs through the Saginaw Bay region of the US state of Michigan. It runs from Interstate 69 (I-69) south of Lennon to US Highway 23 (US 23) near Standish. The southern section of the trunkline runs along a pair of county lines in a rural area dominated by farm fields. The highway directly connects the downtown areas of both Saginaw and Bay City. North of the latter city, the Lake Huron Circle Tour follows M-13 along the Saginaw Bay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zilwaukee Bridge</span> Bridge in Zilwaukee and Zilwaukee Township, Michigan

The Zilwaukee Bridge is a high-level, segmental concrete bridge spanning the Saginaw River in the U.S. state of Michigan. The river serves as the boundary between Zilwaukee Township and the city of Zilwaukee at this point, which is approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) north of downtown Saginaw. It carries Interstate 75 and US 23.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M-84 (Michigan highway)</span> State highway in Saginaw and Bay counties in Michigan, United States

M-84 is a north–south state trunkline highway in the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. The highway starts on the west side of Saginaw at an intersection with M-58 and runs north through residential and commercial areas. There are two colleges or universities near the trunkline as it connects Saginaw with Bay City, providing an alternative to the freeway that carries Interstate 75/US Highway 23 (I-75/US 23). The northern terminus is at a pair of intersections with M-25 on the east side of the Saginaw River in Bay City.

The Macombs Dam Bridge is a swing bridge across the Harlem River in New York City, connecting the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx. The bridge is operated and maintained by the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lee Roy Selmon Expressway</span> Highway in Florida

State Road 618, also known as the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway, and formerly known as the Crosstown Expressway, is a 14.168-mile (22.801 km) controlled-access toll road in Hillsborough County, Florida. It connects the South Tampa neighborhood near MacDill Air Force Base with Downtown Tampa and the bedroom community of Brandon. The expressway was built in stages, opening between 1976 and 1987. An approximately 1.9-mile extension to the thoroughfare's western terminus opened to traffic on Monday, April 19, 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 101 in California</span> U.S. Highway in California

U.S. Route 101 (US 101) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway, stretching from Los Angeles, California, to Tumwater, Washington. The California portion of US 101 is one of the last remaining and longest U.S. Routes still active in the state, and the longest highway of any kind in California. US 101 was also one of the original national routes established in 1926. Significant portions of US 101 between the Los Angeles area and the San Francisco Bay Area follow El Camino Real, the commemorative route connecting the former Alta California's 21 missions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 95 in Pennsylvania</span> Section of Interstate Highway in United States

Interstate 95 (I-95) is a major north–south Interstate Highway that runs along the East Coast of the United States from Miami, Florida, north to the Canada–United States border at Houlton, Maine. In the state of Pennsylvania, it runs 51.00 miles (82.08 km) from the Delaware state line near Marcus Hook in Delaware County in the southeastern part of the state northeast to the Delaware River–Turnpike Toll Bridge at the New Jersey state line near Bristol in Bucks County, closely paralleling the New Jersey state line for its entire length through Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 75 in Michigan</span> Interstate Highway in Michigan, United States

Interstate 75 (I-75) is a part of the Interstate Highway System that runs north–south from Miami, Florida, to Sault Ste. Marie in the Upper Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. I-75 enters the state from Ohio in the south, north of Toledo, and runs generally northward through Detroit, Pontiac and Bay City, crosses the Mackinac Bridge, and ends at the Canadian border in Sault Ste. Marie. The freeway runs for approximately 396 miles (637 km) on both of Michigan's major peninsulas. The landscapes traversed by I-75 include Southern Michigan farmland, northern forests, suburban bedroom communities, and the urban core of Detroit. The freeway also uses three of the state's monumental bridges to cross major bodies of water. There are four auxiliary Interstates in the state related to I-75, as well as nine current or former business routes, with either Business Loop I-75 or Business Spur I-75 designations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 23 in Michigan</span> U.S. Highway in Michigan

US Highway 23 (US 23) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway that runs from Jacksonville, Florida, to Mackinaw City, Michigan. In the US state of Michigan, it is a major, 362-mile-long (583 km), north–south state trunkline highway that runs through the Lower Peninsula. The trunkline is a freeway from the Michigan–Ohio state line near Lambertville to the city of Standish, and it follows the Lake Huron shoreline from there to its northern terminus. Serving the cities of Ann Arbor and Flint, US 23 acts as a freeway bypass of the Metro Detroit area. Overall, the highway runs through rural areas of the state dominated by farm fields or woodlands; some segments are urban in character in the Ann Arbor, Flint and Tri-Cities areas. The section from Flint north to Standish also carries Interstate 75 (I-75) along a concurrency that includes a segment that carries almost 70,000 vehicles on a daily basis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lafayette Avenue Bridge</span> Bridge in Bay City, Michigan

The Lafayette Avenue Bridge, formerly listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Bay City Bascule Bridge, is the name given to two separate bridges located in Bay City, Michigan. The bridges carry M-13 and M-84 over the Saginaw River. They are maintained by the Michigan Department of Transportation, and the bascule portion is currently the oldest of Bay City's four modern drawbridges. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 30, 1999, but was removed from the Register in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Veterans Memorial Bridge (Bay City, Michigan)</span> Bridge in Bay City, Michigan

The Veterans Memorial Bridge is a drawbridge located in Bay City, Michigan. It carries State Highway M-25 and Business Spur I-75 over the Saginaw River. Its location is just south of Wenonah Park, and Veteran's Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Business routes of Interstate 75 in Michigan</span> Highways in Michigan

There have been nine business routes for Interstate 75 in the US state of Michigan. Numbered either Business Loop Interstate 75 or Business Spur Interstate 75 depending if they are a full business loop or a business spur, these highways are former routings of I-75's predecessor highways in the state. They were designated as I-75 was completed through the various areas of Michigan. The business loop in Pontiac runs through that city's downtown along a section of Woodward Avenue and a segment of roadway formerly used by M-24. The former Saginaw business loop was once a part of US Highway 23 (US 23), as was most of the original Bay City business loop. The roadways that make up the business loops in West Branch and Roscommon were previously part of M-76, I-75's predecessor through that part of the state. In Northern Michigan, the Grayling and Gaylord BL I-75s were part of US 27, and the two business routes in St. Ignace and Sault Ste. Marie in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan were part of US 2. A tenth business route, a loop through Indian River has been proposed. Each of the business loops connects to I-75 on both ends and runs through their respective cities' downtown areas. The two business spurs only connect to I-75 on one end and run into the appropriate downtown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 41 in Michigan</span> U.S. Highway in Michigan

US Highway 41 (US 41) is a part of the United States Numbered Highway System that runs from Miami, Florida, to the Upper Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. In Michigan, it is a state trunkline highway that enters the state via the Interstate Bridge between Marinette, Wisconsin, and Menominee, Michigan. The 278.769 miles (448.635 km) of US 41 that lie within Michigan serve as a major conduit. Most of the highway is listed on the National Highway System. Various sections are rural two-lane highway, urbanized four-lane divided expressway and the Copper Country Trail National Scenic Byway. The northernmost community along the highway is Copper Harbor at the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula. The trunkline ends at a cul-de-sac east of Fort Wilkins State Park after serving the Central Upper Peninsula and Copper Country regions of Michigan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jefferson Avenue–Huron River and Harbin Drive–Silver Creek Canal Bridges</span> United States historic place

The Jefferson Avenue–Huron River and Harbin Drive–Silver Creek Canal Bridges are two separate bridges, sharing a continuous railing, that were jointly listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 10, 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Business routes of U.S. Route 23 in Michigan</span> Routes of a highway in Michigan

There have been five different business routes of US Highway 23 in the state of Michigan. These business routes were designated along former sections of US Highway 23 (US 23) to provide signed access from the main highway to the downtowns of cities bypassed by new routings of US 23. Two are still extant, connecting through downtown Ann Arbor and Rogers City. Three others have been decommissioned. The former Business US 23 in Fenton was split in half during the 1970s and later completely turned back to local control in 2006. The former business loops through Saginaw and Bay City were renumbered as business loops of Interstate 75 in the 1960s.

References

  1. 1 2 "Bridge department". Public Works Department, City of Bay City, Michigan. Archived from the original on June 12, 2013. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
  2. "BC-Pass" . Retrieved 2023-06-10.
  3. "Bay City Bridge Partners | Your Partners for Better Independence & Liberty Bridges" . Retrieved 2023-01-18.
  4. "What Bay's City's new toll bridges mean for non-residents" . Retrieved 2023-06-10.
  5. "Third Street Bridge - 1890 Newspaper Accounts". Bay-Journal. Archived from the original on May 15, 2003. Retrieved 2 December 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  6. Younkman, Tim (3 June 2011). "Bay City changed forever the day the Third Street Bridge broke". M Live. Retrieved 2 December 2015.