McKeown Rd / Thornapple River

City/Township: Hastings Twp.

Location: McKeown Rd / Thornapple River

Year Built: 1900

About this Bridge:
The McKeown Bridge, also called the Sponable Bridge, is located on McKeown Road over the Thornapple River between Old M-79 and River Road in Hastings Township of Barry County. It is a single span steel Pratt through truss bridge 119 feet long, 16 ½ wide, and approximately 13 feet high from deck to the underside of the truss. The bridge's superstructure is an eight panel steel truss with steel floor beams, stringers and a transverse timber deck. The abutments which support the bridge on either bank are of fieldstone. The bridge is painted black to protect the steel. Lattice work highlights and braces the railings. McKeown Road Bridge was built in 1903 by the Massillon, Ohio, Iron Company for Hastings Township at a total cost of $2,865.

The McKeown Road Bridge received its current, official name during the 1930s when electric companies extended their services to rural areas and developed a system of naming rural road to aid in servicing lines and billing customers. The road and bridge received their name from C.J. McKeown, a local farmer, who owned the form Sponable farm on the east side of the road north of the Thornapple River. The McKeown Bridge is the last metal truss highway bridge in Barry County.