Stancer Rd. / N. Coldwater River

County: Branch

City/Township: Union Twp.

Location: Stancer Rd. / N. Coldwater River

Year Built: 1888

About this Bridge:
The Stancer Road Bridge is eligible for the National Register as an excellent example of a late nineteenth-century pinned, overhead Pratt truss. This once common bridge type is now becoming rare in Michigan.

The number "88" appears in a center circle of the bridge plates, indicating that the bridge was probably constructed in 1888. The bridge plates also show the builder as the Massillon Bridge Company, which was in operation from 1869 to 1901. This firm was one of the most prolific bridge building companies in Michigan and the Midwest during the nineteenth century, and is known to have built at least nineteen structures in the state. This bridge was probably built under township authority. No archival information could be found regarding its construction. The integrity of the structure has been maintained, and the physical condition is good.