The Tridge is the formal name of a three-way wooden footbridge spanning the confluence of the Chippewa and Tittabawassee Rivers in Chippewassee Park near downtown Midland, Michigan, in the Tri-Cities region. Named as a

portmanteau In linguistics, a blend—also known as a blend word, lexical blend, or portmanteau—is a word formed by combining the meanings, and parts of the sounds, of two or more words together.

of "tri" and "bridge", the structure opened in 1981. 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 English, American and Canadian English), railway wagon, railway carriage, railway truck, railwagon, railcarriage or railtruck (British English and International Union of Railways, UIC), also called a tra ...

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. Some research ...

wood, and of

concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of aggregate bound together with a fluid cement that cures to a solid over time. It is the second-most-used substance (after water), the most–widely used building material, and the most-manufactur ...

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 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, known colloquially as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States which commemorates the ratification of the Declaration of Independence by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing th ...

. 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 ( ; also referred to as the Mighty Mac or Big Mac) is a suspension bridge that connects the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Upper and Lower Peninsula of Michigan, Lower peninsulas of the U.S. state of Michigan. It spans the Str ...

to the north, in hosting a "

Labor Day Labor Day is a Federal holidays in the United States, federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday of September to honor and recognize the Labor history of the United States, American labor movement and the works and con ...

walk". The festive annual event is sponsored by MACF and the Chippewa Nature Center, 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.

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 Multi-way bridges Wooden bridges in Michigan