Zehnder's Holzbrücke (Zehnder's Wooden Bridge)

Zehnder's Holzbrücke (German for Wooden Bridge) is a covered bridge located on the Cass River on Covered Bridge Lane in the city of Frankenmuth, Michigan. This structure was completed in 1979 and hauled into place by a team of oxen during 1980. Unlike many modern covered bridges, the structure is not a facade and is constructed fully of wooden materials. The span was installed promote tourism in Frankenmuth and provide access to the lands own by the Bavarian Inn south of the Cass River.

Part 1; the history of Zehnder's Holzbrücke

Zehnder's Holzbrücke (German for wooden bridge) is a structure located on Covered Bridge Lane along the Cass River in the city of Frankenmuth River. The structure is currently part of the Bavarian Inn complex. Eddie (the Zehnder's of Frankenmuth family) and William Zehnder (Bavarian Inn family) originally began to explore the prospects of installing a covered bridge in 1962. Both brothers owned portions of land along the eastern half of the Cass River. The purpose of a new bridge was to serve as a tourist attraction and expand the parking capacity for the Bavarian Inn south of the Cass River.

By 1979 the Zehnder brothers hired Milton Grade which was one of the last construction firms which specialized in building authentic covered bridges. The 239-foot-long structure was completed during 1979 but had to installed at the Cass River. Beginning during 1980 a team of oxen was used to pull the structure into place on the Cass River. The bridge was dedicated on September 9, 1980.

In 1985 the first phase of the Bavarian Inn Lodge complex completed east of the Cass River. Much of the attractions south of the river were either built or purchased by Eddie Zehnder's family during the remaining balance of the 1980s. During 2015 ownership of Zehnder's Holzbrücke was transferred to Frankenmuth Bavarian Inn Incorporated.

Part 2; visiting Zehnder's Holzbrücke

Zehnder's Holzbrücke is located immediately east of M-83 in Frankenmuth along Covered Bridge Lane. The structure is located next to the Covered Bridge Shop west of the Cass River.

Zehnder's Holzbrücke facing east over the Cass River from a stylized pedestrian bridge.

Zehnder's Holzbrücke facing northeast from the Bavarian Belle Riverboat

Zehnder's Holzbrücke facing was along Covered Bridge Lane. The structure is rated for 10 tons and has an overhead clearance of 13'8 feet.

Facing northeast on the Cass River from one of the pedestrian walkways on the bridge.

Comments

Hawaii Route 8930

Hawaii Route 8930 is a 2.5-mile State Highway on the Island of O'hau. Hawaii Route 8930 is aligned over Kualakai Parkway over the course of its entire alignment south from Interstate H-1 to Kapolei Parkway. Hawaii Route 8930 is one of the newest Hawaii Routes only having been completed during 2010. This page is part of the Gribblenation O'ahu Highways page. All Gribblenation and Roadwaywiz media related to the highway system of O'ahu can be found at the link below: https://www.gribblenation.org/p/gribblenation-oahu-highways-page.html Part 1; the history of Hawaii Route 8930 The history of Hawaii Route 8930 is brief given it is a modern facility. Hawaii Route 8930 and what was known as "North-South Road" were built to facilitate the developing areas of Kapolei on western O'ahu. According to hawaiihighways.com the first stage of Hawaii Route 8930 was completed from Kapolei Parkway north to Farrington Highway as a four-lane highway during November...

Madera County Road 607 and the Stockton-Los Angeles Road

Madera County Road 607 is an approximately seven-mile rural unsurfaced highway which spans from Road 600 near Raymond west to Road 29. Road 607 west from Raymond Road Cemetery (established in 1905) is part of the Stockton-Los Angeles Road corridor surveyed in 1853. The corridor lies in the gap between Fresno Crossing at the Fresno River west to Newton's Crossing at the Chowchilla River. The Buchanan Copper Mine would be along what is now Road 607 in the namesake Buchanan Hollow during July 1863. The Buchanan Mine is thought to have once had a population of between 1,000-1,500 residents by the early 1870s. Copper prices would decline in the decade after the Civil War and much of the activity at Buchanan shifted towards cattle ranching. The last businesses in the community would shutter during World War II and it is now a true ghost town. Part 1; the history of Madera County Road 607 and the Stockton-Los Angeles Road What is now Road 607 was a component of the larger Sto...

Paper Highways; Interstate H-4 through downtown Honolulu

The Hawaiian Island of O'ahu is home to four Interstate Highways; H-1, H-2, H-3 and H-201. Had history gone slightly differently during the 1960s a fifth Interstate corridor on O'ahu could have been constructed through downtown Honolulu and the neighborhood of Waikiki. The proposed corridor of Interstate H-4 can be seen above as it was presented by the Hawaii Department of Transportation during October 1968 . This page is part of the Gribblenation O'ahu Highways page. All Gribblenation and Roadwaywiz media related to the highway system of O'ahu can be found at the link below: https://www.gribblenation.org/p/gribblenation-oahu-highways-page.html The history of proposed Interstate H-4 The corridor of Interstate H-4 was conceived as largely following what is now Hawaii Route 92 on Nimitz Highway and Ala Moana Boulevard. Prior to the Statehood the first signed highways within Hawaii Territory came into existence during World War II. Dur...