Blue Water Bridge, Spanning St. Clair River at I-69, I-94, & Canadian Route 402, Port Huron, St. Clair County, MI

Significance: When it opened in October 1938, the Blue Water Bridge symbolized the peaceful relationship between the United States and Canada, a sharp contrast to the hostilities in Europe which were about to erupt into World War II. Forming an efficient link between the Midwest and the East Coast, the bridge had become one of the most heavily traveled border crossings between the two nations. Modjeski and Masters, an internationally renowned engineering firm based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, designed and supervised construction of the bridge. Although the arch cantilever through truss did not present any unusual engineering challenges, use of the lower chord as part of the deck system was a creative response to aesthetic and budgetary concerns.

Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: N1545

Survey number: HAER MI-16-A

Building/structure dates: 1936-1938 Initial Construction

Building/structure dates: 1953 Subsequent Work

Building/structure dates: 1994 Subsequent Work

Building/structure dates: 1997 Subsequent Work

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1969 - 1980

Library of Congress

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