MacArthur Bridge

01 / The story of this place

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The MacArthur Bridge is the only road onto Belle Isle, carrying East Grand Boulevard across a channel of the Detroit River. The first bridge here, a steel and wood swing bridge, opened in 1889 and went up in flames in 1915 when a heating cart tipped over and lit the creosote-soaked paving blocks. After a temporary wooden span, the city opened the present bridge in 1923: 19 concrete arches designed by Emil Lorch with engineer L. M. Gram, built for about $2.6 million. It once carried George Washington's name and was renamed for General Douglas MacArthur in 1942, but most Detroiters simply call it the Belle Isle Bridge. It also saw one of the city's darkest nights, when fights on the island and the bridge in June 1943 grew into a race riot that left 34 people dead. A big rebuild in 1984–1986 kept it going. Suburban-raised director Sam Raimi ended the wild car chase of his 1985 comedy Crimewave here, and his winter crew had to melt the ice under the bridge to get the shots.

1. Opened in 1923 with 19 concrete arches
2. Replaced an 1889 swing bridge that burned in 1915
3. Renamed for General Douglas MacArthur in 1942
4. Rebuilt in 1984–1986 for $11.5 million
5. Sam Raimi shot the end of Crimewave's car chase here