Before 1983 , US 2 used a different routing through Manistique and crossed the Manistique River on what is nicknamed the " Siphon Bridge " . Built as a part of a raceway flume on the river , the water level is actually higher than the road surface . This produces a siphon effect , giving the bridge its nickname . The Manistique Pulp and Paper Company was organized in 1916 and needed a dam on the Manistique River to supply their mill . This dam would require a large section of the city to be flooded , and shallow river banks meant difficulties in any bridge construction . Instead of expensive dikes , a concrete tank was built lengthwise in the river bed ; the sides of this tank provided man @-@ made banks higher than the natural banks . The Michigan Works Progress Administration described the bridge as having " concrete bulkheads , formed by the side spans of the bridge , [ that ] allow the mill to maintain the water level several feet above the roadbed . " The Manistique Tourism Council stated : " At one time , the bridge itself was partially supported by the water that was atmospherically forced under it , " and that the bridge has been featured in Ripley 's Believe It or Not ! . The eight @-@ span structure is 294 feet ( 90 m ) long .