A project 118 Years in the making!
In the 19th century a ferry service provided a crucial southern link between Midland and Saginaw. Known as ‘Smiths Crossing’, it was named after the man who owned and operated the ferry. The ‘Village of Smiths Crossing’ then developed which was located about 100 rods (1,650 feet) northeast from the current bridge, now known as Mapleton, it featured a Pere-Marquette Railroad station, a post office, a church, stores and homes.
A bridge replaced the ferry service sometime in the late 1800’s, however that bridge was carried away by a flood in 1904. The existence of this village was highly dependent upon the bridge as a significant portion of its trade utilized the crossing. The village was supported and patronized largely by people living south of the Tittabawassee River, who were obliged to use the crossing to reach the village and railroad station. After the flood, Ingersoll Township maintained a ferry to keep the "highway" open.
In 1907, a multi-span ‘Pratt Through-Truss’ steel bridge was erected at the site and became known as the ‘Bailey Bridge’, named after the family who owned the property where the bridge was built. The bridge was built by the Joliet Bridge and Iron Company and is only one of six late-19th/early-20th century multi-span through-truss highway bridges left in Michigan. While all six of these bridges are historically important, the relative size of the Bailey Bridge structure at 302 feet long, compared to the remaining bridges of this era, places greater importance on the restoration.
Some unique characteristics of the bridge, according to Vern Mesler, Michigan's Historic Bridge guru, include the process and manufacture of the bridge, the riveted in-beam connections, pinned structural connections, Carnegie Steel, bridge nuts, the upset I-bar, the forge-welded I-bar and the decorative entrance features. This structure is the only two-span truss structure over the Tittabawassee River and is the longest truss bridge in the region.
The Bailey Bridge played a vital role in the agricultural, commercial and residential development of Ingersoll and Midland Townships. The bridge was the primary river crossing in the area until it was closed to all traffic around 1980, following construction of the Gordonville Road bridge in 1976.
According to www.historicbridges.org, the Bailey Bridge at Smiths Crossing has a ‘historic significance rating’ of 7 nationally and 8 locally, on a scale of 1-10, commenting that, "given the lack of multi-span truss bridges in Michigan, this bridge should be considered highly significant and given a high priority for rehabilitation".
In 2018, the Midland County Road Commission (MCRC) began to work with a consortium of community partners with the goal of resurrecting this historic bridge so that it can once again provide connectivity for Midland and the region. However, this time it will serve as an essential river crossing for a non-motorized trail linking Midland and the Pere-Marquette Rail Trail to the Great Lakes Bay Regional Trail system. After 118 years, the restoration of this bridge will finally become a reality due to the approval of an MDOT Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant and the tireless fundraising efforts of our community partners!
This project will soon open the bridge up and restore it so that all members of the public, regardless of their abilities, will be able to use it and understand its historical significance. Currently the bridge is fenced off to prevent anyone from getting on the structure. The restoration of the bridge will provide the only safe non-motorized connection across the Tittabawassee River between Midland and Freeland. The only other crossing is the Gordonville Road bridge, located upriver and northwest of the Bailey Bridge, but it is less ‘user-friendly’ due to its narrow walkways, high vehicular traffic speeds and the lack of sidewalk or bicycle path connections.
Similar to its past use in an era before the popularity of the automobile, the restored Bailey Bridge will once again provide an essential link connecting Midland to the Great Lakes Bay Region for pedestrians, bicyclists and other non-motorized users.
This project would not be possible if not for the diligence and dedication of many entities, including: