The Tridge (Midland, Michigan)
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The Tridge | |
|---|---|
 The Tridge in downtown Midland | |
| Coordinates | 43°36′40″N 84°14′55″W / 43.611052°N 84.248689°W |
| Carries | Pedestrian and bicycle traffic |
| Crosses | Chippewa River and Tittabawassee River confluence |
| Locale | Chippewassee Park, Midland, Michigan, United States |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Three-way suspended deck arch bridge |
| Material | Wood |
| History | |
| Construction cost | $732,000 |
| Opened | October 4, 1981 |
| Location | |
 Interactive map of The Tridge | |
The Tridge is the formal name of a three-way wooden footbridge spanning the confluence of the Chippewa and Tittabawassee Rivers in Chippewassee Park[1] near downtown Midland, Michigan, in the Tri-Cities region. Named as a portmanteau of "tri" and "bridge", the structure opened on October 4, 1981.[2][3] It consists of one 31-foot (9.4 m) tall central pillar supporting three spokes. Each spoke is 180 feet (55 m) long by 8 feet (2.4 m) wide.[3][4]
Construction on the bridge began on May 14, 1981, at the instigation of the Midland Area Community Foundation (MACF).[5][6] The bridge cost US$732,000 (equivalent to $2,592,277 in 2025) to build, and took 6,400 hours of labor.[7] Ten railroad car loads of prefabricated wood, and 337 cubic yards (258 m3) of concrete were used to construct three arches, which weigh 44,000 pounds (20,000 kg) apiece. Each appendage is 180 by 8 feet (54.9 by 2.4 m).[3][7] 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.[8][9] Gerace Construction Company worked on the project.[10] As a symbol, the bridge has been popularized and is the subject, for example, of lithographs.[11]
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.[12]
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. The Rollin M. Gerstacker Foundation donated US$2,500,000 (equivalent to $3,283,668 in 2025) towards the project.[13]
