# ATV Bridge Help



## buckhunter14 (Oct 10, 2007)

Does anybody have any 'out of the box' or unusual ideas for utilizing a bridge over a creek? Our private property in the UP has a creek going through it that is about 15-18 feet wide. During low water months the creek is nothing but a trickle and sometimes standing water. During the highwater months, the creek will be raging up to the banks or higher.

We have utilized the common wooden platform bridges in the past, but they frequently will get swept away or damaged, even when anchored, in the high water.

I have been running through ideas about a removable bridge that we can install and leave for a week/weekend while up to camp and remove for the remainder of the year.

Anybody have any other thoughts/ideas?

Thanks!


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## Forest Meister (Mar 7, 2010)

buckhunter14 said:


> Does anybody have any 'out of the box' or unusual ideas for utilizing a bridge over a creek? Our private property in the UP has a creek going through it that is about 15-18 feet wide. During low water months the creek is nothing but a trickle and sometimes standing water. During the highwater months, the creek will be raging up to the banks or higher.
> 
> We have utilized the common wooden platform bridges in the past, but they frequently will get swept away or damaged, even when anchored, in the high water.
> 
> ...


I have seen a couple "out of the box'' solutions over the years. The coolest one IMO was a cable set-up attached to a stout dead-man on each end. The cable was a long loop that circled on tire rims attached to the dead-man on each end. The contraption was used by a landowner/hunter to get to his property on the far side of a rather wide river/ravine. The user sat on a seat and moved himself across by pulling on the opposite part of the cable loop. If confusing, picture a 100' fan belt as the cable system. That one probably would not work well for anything besides personal use.

The other out of the box stream crossing was a simple little drawbridge just wide enough for his quad. The guy said he was tired of replacing bridges because of high water and ice damage so he merely cranked up the bridge when he was not on his property. That bridge spanned a creek very much like the one you are describing. FM


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## buckhunter14 (Oct 10, 2007)

Forest Meister said:


> The other out of the box stream crossing was a simple little drawbridge just wide enough for his quad. The guy said he was tired of replacing bridges because of high water and ice damage so he merely cranked up the bridge when he was not on his property. That bridge spanned a creek very much like the one you are describing. FM



This is exactly what I am thinking!


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## ONEIDABOW1 (Aug 14, 2009)

I’ve seen drawings of a segmented bridge made from treated lumber that looks like fingers. Look at your bent finger from the side. The boards would join at each knuckle with large carriage bolts. The number of “knuckles” would depend on length of boards and span across the stream.


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## Eric Bee (Sep 10, 2012)

Couldn't you use a couple of old aluminum dock sections. Unless your worried about theft


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## anagranite (Oct 23, 2010)

Depending on access you could use an old mobile home trailer frame. They are typically cheap and definitely strong enough for side by sides. The one I saw had the axles removed after installation and had footings on both banks with galvanized anchor bolts.


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## buckhunter14 (Oct 10, 2007)

Eric Bee said:


> Couldn't you use a couple of old aluminum dock sections. Unless your worried about theft


This is a possibility and no concern of theft. Problem would be anchoring the dock sections as it would get wrecked by the first high water event. I would ideally like to find a long section of aluminum or a light material that would be easily moved. Thus when arriving at camp set the mobile bridge up (approximately 150 yards from camp) and then remove when leaving camp for the week/weekend.




anagranite said:


> Depending on access you could use an old mobile home trailer frame. They are typically cheap and definitely strong enough for side by sides. The one I saw had the axles removed after installation and had footings on both banks with galvanized anchor bolts.


Accessibility would definitely be an issue.


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## justincasei812 (Dec 30, 2012)

Might want to try this??


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## Far Beyond Driven (Jan 23, 2006)

Overkill?


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## Trophy Specialist (Nov 30, 2001)

buckhunter14 said:


> This is a possibility and no concern of theft. Problem would be anchoring the dock sections as it would get wrecked by the first high water event. I would ideally like to find a long section of aluminum or a light material that would be easily moved. Thus when arriving at camp set the mobile bridge up (approximately 150 yards from camp) and then remove when leaving camp for the week/weekend.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


A friend of.mine has a long do k on wheels that he rolls in and out of Lake Huron so they do make them.


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## stevebrandle (Jan 23, 2000)

MADD Dock Systems near Harrison can fabricate custom aluminum items to your specifications. I am sure they can build anything you can dream up. They also make roll in docks, but they may not work on your creek if the banks are too steep at the water's edge. The tires hang up on the lip.


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