GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Several key buildings shape the Grand Rapids skyline: The Amway Grand. McKay Tower. The River House and Bridgewater Place. But arguably what defines the downtown landscape isn’t a building at all, it’s a structure: The Blue Bridge .
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The pedestrian path crosses the Grand River, connects the east and west sides of the city and is the backdrop of countless photo ops.
But even though it has been around for more than a century, the Blue Bridge has only recently become a key feature. The 575-foot span has lived a few different lives in its 150-plus years. Most of them were dedicated to trains.
What we now know as the Blue Bridge was originally called the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad Bridge, named for the company that had it built. GR&I was one of several railroad companies expanding in the area at the time. In 1868, it was able to get the finances sorted out and received approval to build the bridge in the spring. It was completed within a few months and cost $32,000.