The Tridge

If Midland has a symbol, it’s the Tridge — a wooden footbridge that splits into three legs to cross the spot where the Chippewa and Tittabawassee Rivers come together downtown. The name is just “tri” plus “bridge.” One central pillar, about 31 feet tall, holds up three wooden spokes — each 180 feet long and about 8 feet wide — that meet at a triangular deck in the middle and land in three different places: a riverside park, a ballfield park, and the downtown riverfront. Building it meant walling off part of the riverbed and pumping it dry just to pour the central pier. It opened in October 1981 and was renovated in 2017, so it still looks sharp.

It’s more than a photo spot. The Tridge is where the Pere Marquette Rail Trail starts — a long paved path that’s a favorite for biking and walking — and the downtown leg drops you at the Midland Farmers Market and the riverfront, where the city holds concerts on summer evenings. Local groups put its three-pointed shape in their logos, and for a lot of locals, a walk across the Tridge is just part of living here.