BAY CITY, Mich - Bay County 911 reports there are two different multi-vehicle accidents on both northbound and southbound I-75 on top of the Zilwaukee Bridge. Almost exactly nine months later, the southbound side of the bridge was opened. Zilwaukee Bridge: From the Beginning, The The bridge has twin decks built of a series Traffic shifted between I-75/US-23 and I-675 twice weekly to ensure three lanes were open in the direction of peak travel. The two new segments then are stressed to the It caused serious damage. found at the following link. It was a lime-stone hauler from Buffalo. The mile-and-a-half long bridge replaces Copyright 2023 ClickOnDetroit.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. concerns and painting costs with steel bridges. Learn about the Zilwaukee Bridge on the Saginaw River, its history, and its height. A midnight crew scrambled to safety as an overloaded thousand-foot-long bridge section shook, buckled and sagged. High pressure injection And it wasnt just the cars that suffered. consisted of the new four-lane, double-leaf bascule (draw) bridge and a The concrete bid was $76.8 million. portion of the new route in the Saginaw area was opened to traffic. The repair work added $500,000 to the $3.8 million project and postponed the bearing replacement project to 2012. Why did it happen? While the remaining ramp connections were Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines. Now, the bridge is very busy. of the new bridge as segments are erected one against another and are post-tensioned it was issued prior to the completion of the bridge and is worded accordingly. The state spent $120 million to build the bridge but design problems and. Chris has a master's degree in history and teaches at the University of Northern Colorado. the decision came to replace it with a high-level bridge. But in August of 1982, after more than half the bridge had taken shape disaster struck. The Zilwaukee Bridge is a box-and-girder concrete segmental bridge that crosses the Saginaw River in Michigan. The tilting also damaged the pier footing beneath it. The tractor and trailer combined weigh 102 tons. Department of Transportation in response to public concerns about .004 inches (about the thickness of a human hair). The Zilwaukee Bridge exists as an alternative to the federal governments original I-75 design. group to create a solid unit, six segments long. can be pulled from either end. Zilwaukee Bridge - Old. Clearly, a new solution was needed. While the bridge has performed very well in the years since it has opened on the job weigh 160 tons, so the loaded unit can weigh up to 262 tons, and reconstructing the newly-completed I-675 loop computer-aided design drawings for projects built since the mid-1990s. stronger than that usually specified by MDOT for bridge decks. Really makes me wonder - if that was a seriously considered plan, what happened? David J. Herber, L & B Cartage vice president, said bridge lane closures have cost the drivers of the companys 43 vehicles time and money. major holiday weekends and during the fall hunting season. 91.3 Port Huron 89.7 Lansing 91.1 Flint. The state fired the original contractors and the constant bridge problems started getting heat from angry legislators in Lansing. had also been converted to full freeway with overpasses and interchanges In this installment, MDOT. Many have been Because it would be virtually impossible Published: Jan. 16, 2023 at 8:39 AM PST. Bridge Report Aerial Imagery Additional The Zilwaukee Bridge is a high-level bridge carrying I-75 (and U.S. 23) over the Saginaw River at Zilwaukee. Segments are transported from the fabricating plant to the bridge by a Zilwaukee Bridge: From the Beginning. beginning at the existing route (Dixie Hwy) in Bridgeport, continuing northerly The southbound side opened the next summer. The effect caused one side of the 300-foot-long section of bridge deck to sag and the other to rise. 107. Ken Haddad is the digital content and audience manager for WDIV / ClickOnDetroit.com. Heres an aerial map that shows the location of the draw bridge vs. the new bridge: Construction on the new structure, projected to cost about $77 million without ramps and approaches, started in late 1979. There are more than 4,000 miles of post-tensioned steel cable in the 1.5-mile-long bridge. Copyright 2022 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved. fixed to the opposite end. A report released by MDOT in December 2010 noted the problems with the 2008 project were due to faulty documentation from the bridge's original construction. the opening of the (original) Zilwaukee Bridge in 1960 it became clear Kahn also expressed concern about future lane closures on the bridge. en.wikipedia.org. At Zilwaukee, The newly developed concept of interstate highways changed the way that people moved around and brought more commuters through the region on their way from Detroit to the Upper and Lower Peninsula-connecting Mackinac Bridge. and can roll across these legs when necessary to move to a new position where they are to be erected. Now that is amazing. Originally, the Zilwaukee Bridge was to be completed by November 1983. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Rod Meloni is an Emmy Award-winning Business Editor on Local 4 News and a Certified Financial Planner Professional. MDOT said crews erected a steel reinforcement on the exterior of the bridge to ensure that the structural integrity of the bridge continues to remain sound. through downtown as the through route. construction in the United States and Canada. The segments were cast of specially designed concrete which is one-third Check back here for updates. So a new footing was built over the old footing and that is anchored down into bedrock, Chynoweth said. For the first three years, everything went according to plan, and all of the piers were constructed on schedule. The current eight-lane structure, completed in 1988, is the second such bridge at this location, replacing a four-lane bascule bridge constructed in 1960. However, it is most often known as the source of a giant headache because of a costly and high-profile construction accident that halted work entirely for two years. When the balanced group of four segments is in place, a segment is again The southbound side of the bridge would open to traffic the following fall in 1988, according to Michigan Highways. dangerousroads.org is not responsible for the information contained in these pages. Zilwaukee Bridge: From the Beginning, Michigan Around 21 million vehicles a year ride up and over the Saginaw River. of the ramp, now scheduled to open this year. The Z-Bridge, as it has come to be called, has a rich and, at times, dangerous history, but its without a doubt one of the best-known bridges in Michigan. the span for more than a year. needed to complete the bridge. While the most obvious in 1953. originally and prevents water seepage. Todays Zilwaukee Bridge can be traced back to the 1950s, and the original two-lane highway bypass on the east side of Saginaw, which according to Michigan Highways was completed in 1953. Now, an average of 21.6 million vehicles cross the bridge per year. In the 1980's, Toebe completed a number of large . highway running from Detroit to the Mackinac Bridge. more than six times as much as a fully-loaded standard 18-wheel, 40-ton The agency has vowed to hire experts in concrete segmental bridge construction for the next project. The Saginaw News reported on the price tag to keep the Zilwaukee Bridge free of snow and ice.The don't use cheap salt which would result in corrosion of. Repairs totaled $6.8 million. Construction crews began work on a major renovation project on the Zilwaukee Bridge this week. The concrete segments were built nearby, at a facility constructed for the project. The work was completed in 2015 and was expected extend the life of the bridge until 2087. two spans of the bridge simultaneously. The previous drawbridge was the only location at which the I-75 stopped between Florida and Michigan. On some cold days these new sections could not be properly sealed against water infiltration, eventually leading to spalling as the water froze and expanded. MDOT has concluded no one was at fault and blamed three-decade-old as built drawings that didnt show where the steel was located as the problem. Brunner said MDOT will meet with government officials and business owners to review traffic patterns before construction begins. Each one was closely inspected by a specially The 1982 accident completely stopped construction. The Construction begins by placing two segments directly atop a bridge pier, The Zilwaukee Bridge is a.high level bridge carrying I-75 [and US-23] over the Saginaw River at Zilwaukee. I am requesting a rigorous examination of the lane traffic and am seeking alternative plans that might help keep two-way traffic open during the construction process.. to four hours in duration and often up to 30 miles in length. MDOT's policy requires concrete cracks be repaired if they are larger than We need to make sure that we have good agreements with partner about how our bidding changes when the opponents come into the auction. By 1982, the 52 piers that would support the bridge were finished, and expansion joints were being added. spans are complete, the last segment is cast in place to join the spans. On example of a common but not simple auction is when the opponents compete vs. our 1NT Semi-Forcing bid. The current bridge replaced a smaller, bascule bridge (drawbridge) that was built in 1960. Each cable is stretched with hydraulic jacks, stressed to nearly 200 tons, in the completed 1.5-mile-long bridge. Do you know anyspectacular road?Click here to send us all the info, and we'll publish it! Six steps were required to bring the tilted 300-foot deck section back to its intened position. It makes for an imposing sight, and the Zilwaukee Riverfront Park sits nearby. SAGINAW, Mich. Friday marks 35 years since the Michigan Department of Transportation opened the Zilwaukee Bridge. Sometimes, the back-ups exceeded 30 miles and several hours in length. A 1,700-ton launching girder atop the bridge is equipped with a crane that takes the segment and puts it into place. Aerial map of Zilwaukee Bridges by Chris Bessert/Michigan Highways. Cables in the bridge run through galvanized steel ducts that have been The bridge has twin decks built of a series of high-strength reinforced concrete segments held together by thousands of firmly tensioned steel cables. In 1979, construction on the elevated Zilwaukee Bridge, which accommodates both boat and vehicle traffic, began. These joints have to be kept perfectly immobile during construction, so they are filled with temporary blocks held in place with steel tendons. 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Originally, the bridge seemed like a big improvement, but it ran into problems rather quickly. MDOT Bay City Transportation Service Center Manager Gregg Brunner said The original completion date for the Zilwaukee Bridge was November 1983. It needs to hold up about another 50 to 60 years considering it could take roughly $1 billion to replace it. long flatbed truck and trailer. The mayor said he also is concerned about emergency responders having easy access to the city. Additionally, MDOT performed bridge deck surface repairs and a sealer overlay was applied along with repairs to some of the barriers, lighting systems and other electrial repairs. During construction, the expansion joints were held in place by compression blocks that prevented them from moving until the box-girder deck was completed. During a bearing replacement project, a contractor inadvertently cut through reinforced steel on the bridge, the agency has reported. You are being asked to avoid the. This only after Some believe this Michigan bridge marks the start of Up North. Adam has taught history, government, and economics to students in grades 6-12 for five years. In an August 22, 1989 article, The That structure was supposed to be completed in 1983, but the collapse of a temporary compression block on an expansion joint in 1982 literally derailed the project. The freighter was fine but the bridge suffered substantial damage. http://www.michiganhighways.org/listings/US-010.html. When we were kids this thing was massive and scarrrrrryyyyy!! Back to: Section 2: Background The northbound lanes of Interstate 75 across the bridge, closed since Feb. 18, 2008, to replace bearings that allow it to expand and contract in changing weather, were due to reopen by the end of March. During the six-month shutdown, traffic was rerouted via I-675 through downtown Saginaw and massive back-ups were common. with post-tensioned steel cables to form the deck, or superstructure, of Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. In April 2008, work crews replacing bridge bearings unexpectedly drilled into several reinforcing steel bars in the bridge. deck of the old drawbridge now rests on the bottom of Lake Huron as a fish If you need help with the Public File, call (313) 222-0566. He's been with WDIV since 2013. Increased traffic led to the construction of a four-lane drawbridge that raised to let boats pass in 1960. 10. posted to the USENET newsgroup alt.great-lakes the the bridge was completed and the back-ups on the freeway reached three Work began on the southbound span first during 2013 and then transitioned over to the northbound bridge during 2014. (MDOT) BAY CITY, Mich - Bay County 911 reports there are two different multi-vehicle accidents on both northbound and southbound I-75 on top of the Zilwaukee Bridge. The weight of the launching girder, combined with the truck carrying a The worst back-ups, of course, occurred during the crossing would cause more problems then it solved. The dramatic failure of the Zilwaukee Bridge was successfully repaired by the State of Michigan in 1983. Authorities chose the lower-cost option. in the first place. They rejected a proposed steel bridge in favor of a slightly cheaper concrete model estimated at $77M. ** FILE **Traffic is stop and go over the Zilwaukee Bridge Sunday afternoon in this July 6, 2003 photo, as the Fourth of July motorists head home. Well, hold on -- not exactly. The Zilwaukee Bridge along Interstate 75 over the Saginaw River. This was The 4-lane highway crossed the Saginaw River as a draw bridge. We froze the ground below the pier, we abandoned the footing in place because the footing was completely destroyed. Already way over budget and long behind schedule, Chynoweth said fixing the mess took an engineering effort on a scale with designing a whole new bridge. Our concern is if they shut it down for one year in each way, it could have a major impact, Jolin said. Department of Transportation issued a report detailing the background joint between the segments. The best, most concise description of the Zilwaukee Bridge can be found It It didnt really work, and Zilwaukee did not turn into Milwaukee. 1,700 tons. The bridge was only 150 feet wide and several ships actually hit Cast-in-place bridge segments are cast in traveling forms placed They ride electric cars inside to inspect and do repairs. Five sets of casting forms inside the building the bridge opened, it also caused problems for traffic on the Saginaw River repairs as well as a discussion of the safety of the bridge, which was By 1975, the state of Michigan was already planning out a replacement bridge to cross the Saginaw River. This balanced group of four Its a stretch many who live in Metro Detroit are familiar with as a passage for a trip to Northern Michigan, perhaps for Memorial Day or Labor Day. no alterationsgrammatical or otherwisehave been made. onto the bridge, unhooks from the front end of the trailer, hooks to the the bridge. Unfortunately, shipping increased fourfold in the early 1960s; and each time the drawbridge opened, cars would back up for miles.
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