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The Tridge is the formal name of a
three-way In human sexuality, a threesome is commonly understood as "a sexual interaction between three people whereby at least one engages in physical sexual behaviour with both the other individuals". Though ''threesome'' most commonly refers to sexu ...
wooden footbridge spanning the confluence of the Chippewa and Tittabawassee Rivers in Chippewassee Park near downtown
Midland, Michigan Midland is a city in and the county seat of Midland County, Michigan. The city's population was 42,547 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Midland Micropolitan Statistical Area, part of the larger Saginaw-Midland-Bay City Comb ...
, in the
Tri-Cities Tri-Cities most often refers to: *Tri-Cities, Tennessee, United States *Tri-Cities, Washington, United States Tri-City, Tricity or Tri-Cities may also refer to: Populated places Americas Canada *Tri-Cities (British Columbia), consisting of Co ...
region. Named as a
portmanteau A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of words It consists of one tall central pillar supporting three spokes. Each spoke is long by wide.


History

The bridge was constructed in 1981 at the instigation of the Midland Area Community Foundation (MACF). The bridge cost $732,000 to build, and took 6,400 hours of labor. Ten
railroad car A railroad car, railcar (American and Canadian English), railway wagon, railway carriage, railway truck, railwagon, railcarriage or railtruck (British English and UIC), also called a train car, train wagon, train carriage or train truck, is a ...
loads of
prefabricated Prefabrication is the practice of assembling components of a structure in a factory or other manufacturing site, and transporting complete assemblies or sub-assemblies to the construction site where the structure is to be located. The term ...
wood, and of
concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most wid ...
were used to construct three arches, which weigh apiece. Each appendage is . The Tridge was designed by Commonwealth Associates of Jackson and built for a design load of 85 pounds per square foot of deck area and to handle 1,500 people at a time. Gerace Construction Company worked on the project. As a symbol, the bridge has been popularized and is the subject, for example, of lithographs. The Tridge was closed in November 2011 due to work on the
rails-to-trails A rail trail is a shared-use path on railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed, but may also share the right of way with active railways, light rail, or streetcar ...
project and the construction of a new canoe launch site. In April 2017, the Tridge was closed for renovations with all stain to be removed and restained and some board replacements. The bridge's full reopening would happen in October with a partial reopening on the
Fourth of July Independence Day (colloquially the Fourth of July) is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the Declaration of Independence, which was ratified by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing the United States ...
. Rollin M. Gerstacker Foundation donated $2.5 million towards the project.


Recreation

The Tridge is a tourist attraction. It and its two surrounding parks— in Chippewassee and St. Charles parks—are one of the most popular leisure areas downtown. The Chippewa Nature Trail begins at the bridge. The site also marks the starting point of the Pere Marquette Rail Trail, a Michigan Rails to Trails Conservancy Hall of Fame trail. Although being mainly a footbridge, bicycles, skateboards, and in-line skates are also allowed on the bridge. It is the focal point for summer evening concerts. Fishing is generally not permitted from the bridge although it does occur frequently. The Tridge, located beside the Midland
farmers market A farmers' market (or farmers market according to the AP stylebook, also farmer's market in the Cambridge Dictionary) is a physical retail marketplace intended to sell foods directly by farmers to consumers. Farmers' markets may be indoors or ...
, has become an icon of the city and is the most famous landmark of the downtown area. Each year, the Tridge mimics the
Mackinac Bridge The Mackinac Bridge ( ) is a suspension bridge spanning the Straits of Mackinac, connecting the Upper and Lower peninsulas of the U.S. state of Michigan. Opened in 1957, the bridge (familiarly known as "Big Mac" and "Mighty Mac") is the worl ...
to the north, in hosting a "
Labor Day Labor Day is a federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday in September to honor and recognize the American labor movement and the works and contributions of laborers to the development and achievements of the United St ...
walk". The festive annual event is sponsored by MACF and the
Chippewa Nature Center Chippewa Nature Center (CNC) is both a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization and a protected wildlife area in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, encompassing over of forest, rivers and wetlands. Located in Midland County, it is one of ...
, and led by the mayor of Midland. In addition, St. Charles Park, which surrounds the Tridge, is host to many public and private events. At night, the bridge's arches are lit. During summer evenings, the Tridge is a popular hangout spot for local teens largely because it is near the Downtown area and several popular areas. The Trilogy Skatepark is located just north of the Tridge in Chippewassee Park.


See also

* ''The Tridge'', an American political newsmagazine based in Midland, Michigan


References


External links

{{commons category, The Tridge
Tridge photographsMidland River Days poster featuring The Tridge
Bridges completed in 1981 Buildings and structures in Midland County, Michigan Geography of Midland County, Michigan Midland, Michigan Pedestrian bridges in Michigan Protected areas of Midland County, Michigan Rail trails in Michigan Through arch bridges in the United States Transportation in Midland County, Michigan Three-way bridges Wooden bridges in Michigan