The Sixth Street bridge in Grand Rapids, spanning 536 feet across the Grand River, is the oldest and longest metal truss bridge in the state of Michigan. It was designed and built by the Massillon Bridge Company of Ohio in 1886 for a cost of $31,000. The Sixth Street bridge is a truss bridge, one of the oldest types of modern bridges. This bridge style was popular in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries owing to it’s strength, efficient use of materials, and relative ease of construction.
The bridge was built from durable and rust resistant wrought iron, as steel did not become the preferred material for bridges until the 1890s, and consists of 4 spans of single-intersection Pratt trusses. The roadway, while somewhat narrow at only 19 feet, is able to accommodate 2 lanes of traffic. Perhaps the most beautiful feature of the bridge is the pair of ornamental iron railings that protect pedestrians as they stroll across the 6 foot wide sidewalks that flank the bridge’s roadway. All of the stone structures that support the bridge are made from local Grand River limestone.
In 1975, after nearly 90 years of continuous use, the bridge was slated for demolition. A cadre of local citizens, concerned about the potential loss of a piece of Michigan history, rallied to save the bridge from destruction. They were successful in preventing the bridge’s demolition, and on June 18, 1976, the bridge was designated a Michigan State Historic Site. Two months later, the bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is also listed on the Michigan Department of Transportation’s Historic Bridge Inventory, and it remains one of the few remaining functional bridges of it’s type in the nation.
Old age finally caught up with the Sixth Street bridge, and in 2012 it underwent a $2.3 million dollar renovation. The bridge was closed for 3 months while it underwent it’s most significant update–replacement of the wood and asphalt decking, responsible for the bumpy ride for which the bridge had become famous, with a more robust steel and concrete surface. These updates, completed in August of 2012, in addition to a fresh coat of paint, are expected to sustain the bridge for at least another 30 years.