Parke Lane Road–Thorofare Canal Bridge

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 bridge was eventually heavily damaged and closed.[4]

The Parke Lane Road–Thorofare Canal Bridge is 99 feet long, with a span length of 51 feet and a 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 the sidewalls 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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•  National Register of Historic Places portal

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Parke Lane Road–Thorofare Canal Bridge.

• Parke Lane Bridge from HistoricBridges.org: Multiple photographs of the bridge
• Parke Lane Road Bridge from Detroit1701.org: More photographs