Gillespie Street-Clinton River Bridge

The Gillespie Street Bridge, built in 1936, is a relatively early example of rigid-frame construction in Michigan. Wayne County introduced rigid-frame bridges in the state in the early 1930s, and the Michigan State Highway Department adopted the design in 1935-1936. While the style was popular into the 1950s, few well-preserved structures of this type remain. As an excellent example of concrete rigid-frame design, the Gillespie Street Bridge is eligible for the National Register under Criterion C.

There was apparently no bridge at this site before the Gillespie Street Bridge was erected as part of the extension of that road. The city deepened the channel of the Clinton River at the same time that the bridge was built. The bridge was designed for the city of Pontiac by Harold Hawley Corson, a consulting engineer.

Gillespie Street crosses the Clinton River just downstream from a dam that forms a lake to the south. Chain-link fencing edges the south side of the Gillespie Street Bridge. Recessed panels ornament the shallow spandrels of this 33-foot-span concrete rigid-frame structure. Railings are simple metal panels with square-rod spindles supported by concrete posts trimmed with recessed panels.

The 34-foot structure carries a 50.5-foot-wide deck. Sidewalks run along both sides of the 36.5-foot roadway.