LANSING - When it comes to designing and building bridges, the Ambassador, Blue Water, International and Mackinac are all proof that our state has done a great job on the big ones.

It's another story for the thousands of Michigan's nameless, mundane overpasses, which have usually been built with monochrome concrete and an eye toward economy rather than beauty. But ever so slowly, as old overpasses are repaired or new ones are built, fresh designs are adding a little variety to highway-scapes and the driving experience.

Mark Van Port Fleet, the Michigan Department of Transportation's engineer of design, acknowledged that until five years ago, MDOT usually chose "function over aesthetics." Now, he said MDOT and other state transportation departments are looking at their own and each other's work, "trying to determine what would look good here or be appropriate there."

In 2000, MDOT joined other states that took a critical look at their stock of bridges and highway overpasses, and made a formal commitment to "aesthetically pleasing design" for bridge construction and renovation. The concept is part of the "context-sensitive solutions" outlined in the article nearby.

Perhaps the ultimate example of this philosophy can be found at the ongoing revamp of the I-94 - Telegraph Road interchange, where MDOT has authorized construction of a steel-arched dual "Gateway" bridge. The $14 million span is designed as a showy "entrance" for Metro Airport travelers traveling to Detroit.

MDOT was able to specify an upgraded bridge because local communities and quasi-public agencies like Detroit Renaissance chose to pick up part of the tab for the unique span.

Building a better-looking bridge can be more expensive, but it doesn't have to cost too much more - especially as the industry adapts to the new philosophy. As manufacturers of bridge materials get more accustomed to building unique designs and use new techniques, their prices should come down.

More experience with slip-forms will allow contractors and tradespeople to do work with different designs and textures. Colored pre-cast materials are currently only nominally more expensive. And some colored coatings on bridge surfaces act as a sealant and lengthen their life-span. In some cases, just installing unique railings can make a big difference in appearance.

Van Port Fleet said there is no cookie-cutter for new or renovated bridge designs - MDOT has individual plans for each. "Obviously beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but in the transportation community, we have slowly come to realize that everything doesn't have to be dull and drab," he said.

A few Michigan bridge projects that have been worked on over the years that have broken the traditional mold include the West Grand Boulevard bridge over I-75 in Detroit, the new Beck Road-I-96 overpass in Novi and the M-22 overpass in Glen Arbor.

Utah was one of the first states to implement context-sensitive design. In the beginning of the interstate era, said Tom Warne, executive director of the Utah Department of Transportation, "we built the greatest freeway system in the world; but aesthetics and preserving the environment weren't part of that mission. Now we need another transformation. We're here to define a new vision, to change how we do business."

THE M-22 OVERPASS in Glen Arbor is so good-looking, this photo was used on the cover of a manual printed by the American Society of Highway and Transportation Officials. MDOT photo

A RENDERING of the I-94-Telegraph Rd. bridge.