Section 4(f) Case Study: Michigan Street Bridge, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Wisconsin | Posted: November 1, 2005 |
4(f) Case Study - Sturgeon Bay, WI |
When open, the Michigan Street Bridge is a striking sight: the two arms of its center span point to the sky, leaving the channel clear for passing boats. Without Section 4(f), however, that scene would have sunk into the past.
Built in 1930, the Michigan Street Bridge quickly became a community icon. Not only do its two lanes carry heavy vehicle traffic, but during the summer, this rolling lift bridge opens almost hourly to allow boat traffic through the canal that connects Lake Michigan and Green Bay.
In 1970s, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation proposed demolishing this landmark and replacing it with a four-lane bridge. The initial review of this plan, undertaken under Section 106 of the 1966 National Historic Preservation Act, did not protect the Michigan Street Bridge, and so the federal Advisory Council on Historic Preservation authorized its demolition.
The National Trust responded by using Section 4(f) to advocate keeping the bridge. Without going to court, the Trust put pressure on the state and federal transportation agencies and brought in historic bridge expert Abba Lichtenstein to convince local and state officials that the structure was sound. After several years of re-evaluation, the Wisconsin DOT decided to change its plans: it has made a commitment to rehabilitate the Michigan Street Bridge and to build an additional two-lane bridge nearby. Local officials welcomed this plan, which would not have emerged without Section 4(f).
For more information:
Department of Public Policy
National Trust for Historic Preservation
1785 Massachusettes Ave., NW
policy@www.preservationnation.org
202-588-6255
