US-12 / St. Joseph River (Ped. Bridge)

County: St. Joseph

City/Township: Mottville

Location: US-12 / St. Joseph River (Ped. Bridge)

Year Built: 1922

About this Bridge:
The Mottville Bridge crosses the St. Joesph river in Mottville Township at the west edge of the Village of Mottville. It is situated at a historic crossing, and is the fourth bridge to span the St. Joseph River at Mottville.

The bridge is a two hundred and seventy foot long, reinforced concrete, camelback-arch bridge composed of three ninety foot long and twenty-two foot wide spans resting on concrete piers and abutments. The bridge is constructed using massive concrete reinforced steel girders, providing the structure with its distinctive arches. The interior of each arch is pierced with five openings occurring above a series of paired, recessed panels, which provided a decorative effect complementing the bridge's sweeping concrete arches.

The Mottville Bridge is the largest surviving reinforced concrete camelback bridge in Michigan. It was built according to a standardized plan provided by the Michigan State Highway Department in 1922.