Delhi Bridge

The Delhi Bridge was built by the Wrought Iron Bridge Company of Canton, Ohio.[3] Construction was completed October 12, 1883, replacing a wooden bridge built in 1851.[4] [5] The steel members were manufactured by the Trenton Iron Company and the bridge was assembled with pins instead of rivets; pin technology was discontinued after 1910.[6] The bridge was sited in Delhi Mills, a mill town founded in 1831 which declined significantly in the early twentieth century.[7][8]

On June 6, 1917, a tornado swept through the town causing significant damage to the bridge, lifting it off its abutments and leaving it collapsed in a twisted heap in the river.[9] However, the abutments were undamaged.[10] Local tradition states that Edward Outwater and Eli Gallup salvaged the bridge from the river using a team of horses.[7] The bridge was rebuilt in 1918[10] using a significant number of its original trusses, as evidenced by damage apparently due to the tornado.[6][11] The bridge's portal sign was reused, though the portal webbing had to be replaced. During reconstruction of the bridge, the abutments were also rebuilt.[10]

At some point prior to renovation, the northern abutment was covered or replaced with concrete, whereas the southern abutment was fieldstone and likely original.[6] The Delhi Metropark, created in the 1950s, has contributed to the bridge's popularity as a tourist attraction.[12]

Looking down the length of the bridge

Since the tornado, the bridge had undergone few modifications apart from regular maintenance.[13] In June 2005, an annual inspection identified that the bridge had deteriorated almost to the point of failure. In response, the Washtenaw County Road Commission closed the bridge to vehicular traffic.[14]

In 2006, the road commission began discussing options for replacing the bridge with a two-lane concrete structure. However, residents successfully convinced the road commission otherwise as they wished to see the historic bridge rehabilitated.[14][15] The East Delhi Bridge Conservancy formed to help preserve the bridge.[14] After conducting research, the conservancy determined that the current bridge was the same one that existed prior to the tornado. This made the rehabilitation project eligible for Local Bridge Program (LBP) funds. The Delhi Bridge was the first one-lane bridge in Michigan to receive LBP funds for rehabilitation.[15]

Rehabilitation began in July 2008 with restoration work, including the installation of new guardrails and traffic lights. In August 2008, cranes lifted the bridge off its abutments and set it on northeastern side of the river. The bridge was repaired and painted and both abutments were replaced.[14] The bridge previously had a dark red, rusted color, and the new color was intended to be similar, so its industrial orange shade surprised some members of the conservancy.[16] In July 2009, the bridge was lifted off the ground and returned to its abutments, an event attended by about fifty spectators.[14][17] The bridge was reopened to vehicular traffic in August 2009.[14] A dedication ceremony was held on September 13, 2009; in lieu of a proper ribbon, yellow caution tape was used. State Representative Pam Byrnes was one of the speakers at the ceremony.[15] Rehabilitation cost $1.2 million, with about $180,000 in additional fees. The LBP covered 95% of the $1.2 million, with the remainder spread among local groups.[14] A twenty-year tax was enacted to cover future maintenance costs.[15]

In July 2011, the bridge was vandalized with spray-painted graffiti.[18]

• "Delhi Bridge Historic District: Preliminary Report" (PDF). Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners: Historic District Study Committee. February 20, 2007. p. 38. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 5, 2012. Retrieved November 5, 2012.
• Washtenaw County Road Commission (September 13, 2009). "East Delhi Bridge Rededication" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on November 5, 2012. Retrieved November 17, 2012.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)