Langley Covered Bridge is the longest remaining wooden
covered bridge
A covered bridge is a timber-truss bridge with a roof, decking, and siding, which in most covered bridges create an almost complete enclosure. The purpose of the covering is to protect the wooden structural members from the weather. Uncovered woo ...
in the U.S. state of
Michigan
Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...
, and is located three miles north of
Centreville, the seat of
St. Joseph County. The bridge is located in
Lockport Township. The road to get to the bridge borders on the east line of Lockport and
Nottawa townships. The bridge crosses the
St. Joseph River. The current bridge and causeway opened in 1887. The bridge and causeway make up Covered Bridge Road.
History
The bridge is not the first bridge to span this section of the St. Joseph River. In 1887 a swollen St. Joseph River swept away a bridge that was about two blocks from the current bridge location.
The current bridge was constructed in 1887 by nearby Parkville builder Pierce Bodmer.
Both Lockport and Nottawa Township commissioned the bridge which cost about $3,000.
The bridge is named for
Thomas W. Langley and family, pioneers who helped establish the village of Centreville in the mid-19th century.
Langley was the very first settler in Centreville.
Restoration work
In the 1940s, as motor vehicle traffic started to replace the horse and buggy and foot traffic, the added weight and vibration began causing damage to the bridge and abutments and required repair.
"The road commission was flooded with requests from all parts of the state and surrounding states to do everything possible to keep the covered bridge intact."
The
Elkhart Bridge and Iron Works
Elkhart is the name of several places in U.S.A.:
* Elkhart, Illinois
* Elkhart, Indiana
* Elkhart, Iowa
* Elkhart, Kansas
* Elkhart, Texas
* Elkhart County, Indiana
* Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
* Elkhart River, Indiana
See also
* An ''elk hart'', i ...
was awarded the contract to fix the bridge. The 1950-51 project was to give the bridge a new under structure at a cost of $35,885.
In September 1950 the bridge was closed to traffic so work could begin and did not reopen till August 1951.
During the closure "All the load carrying elements of the bridge were changed from wood to steel or concrete. The old flooring was replaced with two by fours creosoted."
When the bridge was again in need of major repair, the St. Joseph County Road Commission hired
Anlaan Corporation to perform the restoration work. All of the siding was removed from the bridge and the roof was replaced. The asphalt that had been added to road decking was removed and returned to wood planking. The cost of the 2008-09 repair was almost $1 million. During this Restoration project two Height Restrictor portal frames and signs were added.
In 2023, St. Joseph County plans to replace all the steel underpinnings of the bridge. The bridge reopened to traffic on Jan. 12, 2024.
Replacement
In 1964 the bridge became the center of controversy when the then county road official wanted to widen the road between Centreville and Vicksburg.
Tourism
Many of the covered bridges in Michigan and other states no longer exist, and the Langley Covered Bridge is consequently considered a historic site and tourist attraction.
For almost 130 years the covered bridge has been a scenic point for travelers, and artists and photographers hoping to capture the changing shadows of the bridge.
The bridge draws history and bridge buffs to see the longest covered bridge in Michigan.
People also come to fish from inside the bridge.
Facts and figures
The bridge spans across the river, it is made up of three spans and is made of the
Howe truss
A Howe truss is a truss bridge consisting of chords, verticals, and diagonals whose vertical members are in tension and whose diagonal members are in compression. The Howe truss was invented by William Howe in 1840, and was widely used as a bridg ...
construction. Its frame and timbers are constructed of
White pine
''Pinus'', the pines, is a genus of approximately 111 extant tree and shrub species. The genus is currently split into two subgenera: subgenus ''Pinus'' (hard pines), and subgenus ''Strobus'' (soft pines). Each of the subgenera have been furthe ...
. The original bridge section are made from three sections which are joined together to form the length of the bridge. They measure wide by high. The original bridge's planking and decking rests on 40 beams that measure by by long.
It is estimated on average that 1,700 vehicles a day use the bridge. During the 2008–09 project on the bridge, two Heigh restrictor portal frames and signs were add at the cost of $20,000 each for a total $40,000 to help protect the bridge.
When the
Sturgis Dam
Sturgis Dam is a dam with a hydroelectric power station on the St. Joseph River in Michigan.
Background
The Sturgis Dam was the first municipal water power plant built in Michigan. It is currently named after the city who owns it and paid for i ...
was installed the bridge had to be raised . In a two-year period, 1950–51, the St. Joseph County Road commission undertook work to help preserve the bridge for use by future generations. To accomplish this the old foundation timbers had to be replaced by wood reinforced with steel beams. The cost of the repair was almost $36,000 (equivalent to $ in ).
There are three main restrictions on the bridge. There is a weight limitation, a height restriction, and there is a limit on how wide vehicles can be.
There are many warning signs leading up to the bridge to warn of the restrictions. The Saint Joseph County Road Commission has attempted some creative ways to stop people from damaging the bridge. Despite the signs, people have hit the metal sign and damaged it beyond repair in 2016. The sign was replaced.
Other events
The bridge has been a symbol of the village of Centreville for a century. Since 1975 the village's annual summer festival has been called Covered Bridge Days. A local newspaper that operated in 1960 used the sketch of the bridge as its logo at different times.
The Three Rivers Chamber of Commerce hosted what was billed a once-in-a-lifetime event, in which the bridge was closed to host a charity dinner. The event was done in coordination with the county road commission that had some planned deck work on the bridge.
Photo gallery
File:2016-09-12 Centreville Mich Covered Bridge From Air.jpg , Aerial photo taken from drone
File: 2016-09-12 Centreville Mich Covered Bridge South.jpg , Aerial photo taken from drone of sign protecting bridge from oversize vehicles
File: 2016-09-12 Langley Covered Bridge Inside.jpg, A picture showing the inside of the covered bridge from an angle to show decking and road bed
File: 2016-09-12 Langley Bridge Howe Truss.jpg, A view of the Howe Truss System spanning the of the bridge
File: 2016-09-12 Centreville Mich Covered Bridge MHS Plaque.jpg, A photo of the Michigan Historical Marker placed on the bridge
See also
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References
External links
*{{Commons category-inline
Buildings and structures in St. Joseph County, Michigan
Bridges completed in 1887
Covered bridges in Michigan
Wooden bridges in Michigan
Tourist attractions in St. Joseph County, Michigan
Howe truss bridges in the United States
Road bridges in Michigan