Gordie Howe’s Last Girder

Posted on by farlane

With nearly 3,000,000 views, this photo was the most popular photo of 2024 on Michigan in Pictures & the most popular photo all time!!

Gordie Howe’s Last Girder by photosbyjoeyd

Joey got an incredible drone shot of workers laying the last girder in place to connect the deck of the new Gordie Howe International Bridge to the Detroit Port of Entry. An astonishing project that is directed and paid for by Canada!

Check out more photos by Joey on his Instagram and view & purchase photos on his website!

Lots more Gordie Howe Bridge & lots more bridges on Michigan in Pictures!

Support Michigan in Pictures with Patreon

Peak Colors at the Cut River Bridge

Posted on by farlane

Peak Colors at the Cut River Bridge by Michigan Nut Photography

Peak Colors at the Cut River Bridge by Michigan Nut Photography

John got a fantastic angle on one of my favorite Michigan bridges, the Cut River Bridge. He shares that when he was a kid it was known as “The Million Dollar Bridge Over the Ten Cent River” 😂 Historic Bridges says that the Heath Michael Robinson Cut River Memorial Bridge was built in 1947 by the Wisconsin Bridge & Iron Company: 

This bridge is large enough that MDOT actually has maintained this bridge as an area attraction. Surrounding the bridge is a roadside park and a series of trails around the bridge. The intent to make this bridge something more than just a crossing goes back before this bridge’s status as a historic bridge to its initial construction. The bridge was designed as an attraction even when it was built, since sidewalks above the bridge in this rural area are present. Also, a set of stairways, part of the original design, take pedestrians under the bridge where they can view the supporting trusses. The abutments and piers were also given unusually exceptional detail, in particular the use of decorative stone facing. The two main piers give the appearance are attractive cut stone arches.

The bridge includes a total of 888 tons of steel and its height over the Cut River is 147 feet. It offers views of Lake Michigan from its deck. The bridge was originally painted a silver color, but is today painted green. This bridge is a steel deck cantilever truss bridge. This structure type is much more common in more hilly states like Pennsylvania, but is extremely rare in Michigan. The structure has visual complexity as a result of the extensive lattice and v-lacing on its riveted, built-up members, which are all very massive, typical for both a bridge of its size and its age. The bridge retains original standard-plan metal guardrails (Michigan’s “signature” type R4 railings) on the sidewalks that flank the roadway on each side. It also retains standard Michigan State Highway Department plaques.

Follow Michigan Nut on Facebook & Instagram and for sure head over to his website to view & purchase prints, calendars, stickers & more!

More Michigan bridges on Michigan in Pictures.

Support Michigan in Pictures with Patreon

Don’t break the bridge

Posted on by farlane

The Bridge by Fire Fighter's Wife

The Bridge by Fire Fighter’s Wife

“He that cannot forgive others breaks the bridge over which he must pass himself; for every man has a need to be forgiven.”
– Thomas Fuller

I simply love the photos paired with quotations that Beth shares. About this one she writes:

This is especially hard for me right now….forgiving others. I think when people hurt you, and they are not sorry, nor feel concern whatsoever for your broken heart, it makes it harder to forgive and forget. Trying to let go of the pain and trying not to let those stabs pain your heart is easier said than done, right? Sometimes we just have to let it go, not take it personally and move on.

In these times I have noticed more often that people are getting nastier. They are miserable and want to make others feel as awful as they do. All we can do is unplug. Distance ourselves from the hatred and surround ourselves with love. Don’t let the negativity destroy you!

Sending each on of my Flickr friends good vibes during these trying times! XO

See more in her 100 x 2021 gallery in Flickr.

Support Michigan in Pictures with Patreon

Grand Rapids Blues

Posted on by farlane

Blue Bridge by Dan Gaken

Blue Bridge by Dan Gaken

Dan shares:

I’ve never spent much time in Grand Rapids, but I have seen photos of this striking bridge across the Grand River. I wanted to capture the river as the sun went down. I love watching how quickly light can change. These three photos, all very different, were taken within 15-20 minutes of each other on Saturday, 6 March 2021. The photo above is the third in the series, taken at night with most of the light in the image now comes from the lights on the bridge, hotel windows and street lights.

Image 1: Just at sunset, you can see the warm tones from the last light on the buildings

Image 2: Blue hour – the sky almost balances the surface of the river perfectly

Internationally Lit

Posted on by farlane

sault ste. marie international bridge, michigan by twurdemann

sault ste. marie international bridge, michigan by twurdemann

The International Bridge at Sault Ste. Marie is the only vehicular crossing between Ontario and Michigan within a 300-mile distance, connecting the sister cities of Sault Ste. Marie across the St. Mary’s River.

See more in twurdemann’s International Bridge gallery on Flickr.

Support Michigan in Pictures with Patreon

Loooking at yourself in the mirror: Portage Lake Lift Bridge edition

Posted on by farlane

Reflections by Eric Hackney Photography

Here’s a #TBT (Throwback Thursday) pic from 3 years ago of the Portage Lake Lift Bridge between Houghton & Hancock on Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula. Wikipedia’s Portage Lake Lift Bridge entry says:

The Portage Lake Lift Bridge connects the cities of Hancock and Houghton, Michigan, USA, across Portage Lake, a portion of the waterway which cuts across the Keweenaw Peninsula with a canal linking the final several miles to Lake Superior to the northwest. US 41 and M-26 are both routed across the bridge.

The original bridge on this site was a wooden swing-bridge built in 1875. This was replaced by a steel swing-bridge built by the King Bridge Company in 1901. This bridge was damaged when a ship collided with it in 1905. The center swinging section of the bridge was replaced and a similar incident almost occurred again in 1920, but the ship was able to stop by dropping its anchor, which snagged on the bottom of the lake. In 1959, this bridge was replaced, at a cost of about 11-13 million US dollars (sources vary), by the current bridge which was built by the American Bridge Company.

As its name states, the bridge is a lift bridge with the middle section capable of being lifted from its low point of four feet clearance over the water to a clearance of 100 feet (30 m) to allow boats to pass underneath. The Bridge is the world’s heaviest and widest double-decked vertical lift bridge.Its center span “lifts” to provide 100 feet (30 m) of clearance for ships. The bridge is a crucial lifeline, since it is the only land based link between the north (so-called Copper Island) and south sections of the Keweenaw peninsula.

You can view the photo & more on Eric’s Facebook page and see a stunning shot of a rainbow over the bridge & more from Eric on Michigan in Pictures.

More bridges on Michigan in Pictures.

Support Michigan in Pictures with Patreon

Rainbow Reflected

Posted on by farlane

Rainbow Reflected, photo by Eric Hackney Photography

My position is that should take your rainbows as they come – here’s a beauty featuring the Portage Lake Lift Bridge in Houghton taken this Sunday!

View the photo bigger and see more in Eric’s Chasing the Rainbow album on Facebook.

Many more Michigan rainbows & more rainbow science on Michigan in Pictures!

Soo Geometry

Posted on by farlane

soo-geometry-1-by-liz-glass

Soo Geometry I, photo by Liz Glass

Liz says she drove two-and-a-half hours last June to get a burger at the West Pier Drive-in (though she really went for the view). Check out her photo bigger and see more in her awesome Abstracts slideshow.

Over the river … and over the woods

Posted on by farlane

crossing-over-by-terryjohnston

Crossing Over, photo by Terry Johnston

Here’s hoping that everyone has a safe journey this Thanksgiving. The Freep reports that Thanksgiving 2016 is shaping up to be a busy one for holiday travel:

AAA says it expects that more than 1.5 million people in Michigan will travel 50 miles or more from home this Thanksgiving holiday.

The auto club says Tuesday it would be the most travelers since 2007 and a 2 percent increase from last year. Reasons cited include improvements in the economy during the second half of the year, including rising wages, increased consumer spending and consumer confidence.

Check Terry’s photo which was coincidentally taken back in November 2007 bigger and view more in his Manistee slideshow.

Sixth Street Bridge in Grand Rapids

Posted on by farlane

Built for Horses Sixth Street Bridge Grand Rapids

Built for Horses, photo by Rudy Malmquist

News that the Michigan Department of Transportation is testing drones for bridge inspection reminded me that I was asked to share more of were “bridges other than than the Mackinac Bridge.”

Historicbridges.org is an excellent resource, and their entry for the Sixth Street Bridge in Grand Rapids begins:

The Sixth Street Bridge, with its long 544 foot length excellent physical condition, is a fitting tribute to its builder, the Massillon Bridge Company of Massillon Ohio. Constructed in 1886, this bridge is made of wrought iron. This bridge is one of the most important historic bridges in the entire state of Michigan, since it is the longest pin-connected highway truss in the state. Also, Michigan only has a few truss bridges that are more than one span in length, and most of those are two spans. A four span bridge in Michigan is thus extremely rare for its unusually long length, for Michigan. The bridge is also significant for the length of its individual spans. The bridge has three spans that are 154 feet in length. This is a very long span length for a pin-connected Pratt truss, and is among the longest in Michigan.

…Construction of the bridge began in 1885, when the piers and abutments were constructed. These, with approaches, cost $11,084.95. The wrought iron truss superstructure was erected in 1886 by the Massillon Bridge Company of Massillon, Ohio, costing $20,281. This made the total cost of the bridge $31,365.95.

Read on for much more.

Rudy adds that this is the oldest metal bridge in Michigan. View his photo bigger and see more in his Neutral Density slideshow.

More bridges on Michigan in Pictures.