HAUNTED MICHIGAN: Murders at the Troll Bridge, Saline

South of Saline along Maple Road lies what is nicknamed the “Troll Bridge” spanning the Saline River. For years, many mysterious things have been happening on – and near – the bridge, making this one of the area’s most-talked about urban legends.

The legend that draws thrill-seekers and the curious to the bridge is a unique one:
A couple was driving across the bridge when their car broke down. The husband got out of the car to see if he could figure out what was wrong. He was never to come back. Alone in the car, the wife waited and waited, but it seemed to be taking her husband longer than it should. Finally, she got out of the vehicle to ask her husband what was wrong; upon circling the vehicle, she found his body behind the car. All his bones had been broken. Later the next day, her body was found alongside her husband’s…..and her bones were all broken as well.

What was the cause of this murderous deed? Trolls.

Thanks to the urban legend, the bridge was dubbed “Troll Bridge”. The story spread and soon teens were going out there at night, boozing it up, fighting, and vandalizing. In 1973, a small group of the local teens got the idea to blow up the bridge once and for all. They attempted to set off a bomb but it didn’t work. One of the kids took the bomb home to fix it, it unexpectedly exploded, and he died (you can read about that true story HERE).

In 1981, a man from Adrian was found dead under the bridge. Whether he died at the hands of humans or trolls makes no difference – it just added to the legend. Upon hearing the legend of Troll Bridge, people who knew nothing about it say they could always sense there was something sinister about it, as if it held some evil secret.

The original bridge was replaced years ago with a new one, but it evidently has inherited the bad vibes of the original. Standing on the bridge - at night, alone – you will most likely feel a prickling on the back of your neck. So go ahead…now that you know the legend, pay a visit to Troll Bridge some night. Alone, if you got the guts.

The bridge is located south of Saline on Maple Road, south of Milkey Road.