July 18, 2014 – A treasured city landmark is about to undergo a facelift.
A project to renovate the 106-year-old Currie Parkway Bridge begins Tuesday, July 22. The steel bridge will undergo driving deck repairs and receive a coat of red paint that is reminiscent of the colors found in the work of Midland architect Alden B. Dow, Midland’s wayfinding signage, and Dow Gardens.
The bridge will be closed until late September. During that time, travelers will need to use
M-20 to access Currie Parkway, Golfside Drive, and Chippewassee Park.
The $400,000 project is being funded with a $200,000 gift from the Midland Area Community Foundation’s Entranceways Initiative Task Force, a $100,000 grant from the the Rollin M. Gerstacker Foundation, and $100,000 from the City of Midland.
A project kickoff event is planned for Tuesday, July 22 at 10:30 a.m. at the bridge, which is located at the intersection of Main Street and Currie Parkway. Parking will be available on Revere Street near Main and Golfside Drive off of Currie Parkway.
The steel Pratt through-truss structure was constructed in 1908 following a flood that destroyed a wooden covered bridge that had been in place since 1871. The “Upper Bridge,” as Currie was then known, served as the city’s primary Tittabawassee River crossing until 1955, when the Karl B. Robertson Bridge was built one-quarter mile south.
The bridge was added to the State Register of Historic Places in 1988.
For additional information about the bridge project, contact the City of Midland Engineering Department at 989-837-3348.
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