M-86 / Prairie River

County: St. Joseph

City/Township: Centreville

Location: M-86 / Prairie River

Year Built: 1923

About this Bridge:
The Michigan State Highway 86 Bridge is eligible for the National Register as a good example of a 1920s camelback pony truss. This structure also exemplifies the movability of a truss bridge.

According to limited records, this bridge was originally built in 1923, and was re-built at the present site in 1938-1939 by contractor L. W. Lamb. Bridge plans dated 1938 indicate that the only alteration to the original design was to eliminate two sidewalks, which had been cantilevered outside the trusses. Work was completed as part of a PWA federal relief work project directed by the Michigan State Highway Department. The previous location of the bridge is unknown. It replaced a pin-connected, 82-foot "low type through-truss span" with a 14.67-foot roadway.