Keweenaw Bridges

The task of transporting copper from mine to mill and then to smelter was made much more difficult by the rugged and rocky terrain encountered along the peninsula. Deep ravines and gorges had been cut through the high ridges and plateaus along the Keweenaw's spine, requiring large trestles to be constructed in order to bridge the gap. To make things even more convoluted was the sheer number of separate railroad lines, which often crossed by mean of cuts and bridges. Along several portions of the most traveled corridors it was not uncommon to see several bridges stacked on on top of another.

With the advent of the automobile and the arrival of the state highway system to the peninsula, the difficult terrain reared its complications yet again. The most pressing obstacle was the Keweenaw Waterway, which had essentially cut the Keweenaw into two. Several of Michigan's most unique bridges would follow, cumulating in the heaviest lift bridge in the world to do the job.