Waltz Road/Huron River Bridge

As an excellent example of 1920s pony truss construction, the Waltz Road Bridge is eligible for the National Register under Criterion C. It is also eligible under Criterion A as a representative product of the Wayne County Road Commission from the 1920s era. The Waltz Road Bridge was one of 15 bridges constructed by Wayne County during the road commission's 1924-1925 fiscal year. The bridge was built at the same time that the county paved a 3.5-mile section of Waltz Road between Willow Road and New Boston. The road commission's annual report noted that grading and construction of drainage structures on the section were finished in 1924, "as also was the acquisition of 1 mile of new right-of-way necessary to eliminate bad curves and give a proper approach to the new bridge." No detour or temporary vehicular bridge were provided during the construction of the new bridge "because of the prohibitive cost" and "the light volume of traffic involved." A temporary pedestrian bridge, however, was built for the benefit of local school children. A bridge plate, which is no longer extant, identified the builder of the superstructure as the Mt. Vernon Bridge Company of Mt. Vernon, Ohio, and credited Swingle & Robinson, contractors from Wyandotte, Michigan, with the substructure. The newly completed span, which cost approximately $67,500, was pictured in the road commission's 1924-1925 annual report. The oblique elevation view, shot from below the level of the deck, highlighted "the massive steel and concrete work." The design was soon tested, when a dam upstream at French Landing failed and caused the river to flood. The structure easily withstood the onslaught. Railings over the abutments were originally concrete balustrades with urn-shaped spindles. Although these railings are no longer extant, the bridge otherwise retains very good integrity.

Waltz Road passes over the Huron River just south of the small community of New Boston, near the southwest corner of Wayne County. The Huron River is edged by woods. The land to the south is marshy. The Waltz Road Bridge is skewed, with the centerline oriented north-south. The bridge consists of two identical steel, 100-foot, 7-panel, camelback Pratt pony truss spans with a 27-foot roadway on a 29.7-foot-deck. The trusses are comprised of the following members: upper chord: built-up channel beam tied with X-lacing; lower chord: channel; verticals: built-up I-beam; diagonals: paired angles tied with V-lacing; floor beam: built-up I-beam; bottom lateral: paired angles. Sidewalks supported by metal brackets are attached outside of the truss on each side. Railings are angles with bar spindles; solid concrete parapets edge the approaches. The substructure features concrete abutments with U-shaped wing walls and solid concrete piers with rounded cutwaters.