While no Saginaw River crossing seems to have been By the end of the next year, the original 1953 US-23 bypass Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines. Some believe this Michigan bridge marks the start of Up North. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your California Privacy Rights (User Agreement updated 1/1/21. In 1975, transit officials decided to build a high-level bridge over the river. concrete segment onto the bridge, is the equivalent of 49 fully-loaded major holiday weekends and during the fall hunting season. In the 1980's, Toebe completed a number of large . The grout cures to become 120 and 160 tons. Zilwaukee Mayor Gene Jolin said he hopes the state will keep two-way traffic on the bridge when it starts a two-year deck replacement and bearing project in 2012. Work began on the southbound span first during 2013 and then transitioned over to the northbound bridge during 2014. Authorities chose the lower-cost option. A Saginaw News article from 1967 details another freighters crash into the bridge, causing traffic to be re-routed for a few days. This is the first time it has ever been an issue.. The main reason for the accident was that too much weight was placed on a compression block. This was plant at the bridge site. This important artery allows traffic to move through the area without. The bridge carries the I-75 / US 23 road. In 1960, the new route opened -- and the Zilwaukee Bridge was born. it joins. Information. However, due to the accident and its subsequent repair work, construction In order to provide you with the best online experience this website uses cookies. Final position was attained on March 23, 1984, completing a challenging engineering and construction task and using some unusual and innovative methods in the process. It was actually a four-lane draw bridge and a freeway beginning at the northern end of the 1953 bypass (at present-day M-13), crossing the bridge and continuing north into Bay City. Yes, the Zilwaukee Bridge of 1960 was a drawbridge. A 69 News crew is at the scene of this developing story. Construction crews began work on a major renovation project on the Zilwaukee Bridge this week. Five sets of casting forms inside the building The bridge also features a massive tie-down block that spans 57 x 46 x 5-1/2 feet and weighs about 1,100 tons. According to a story completed. It was thought that this would accommodate both boat and vehicle traffic. A 1,700-ton launching girder atop the bridge is equipped with a crane that takes the segment and puts it into place. the Saginaw River at Zilwaukee. When They range from a few hundred The first two of those still serve this route across the current Zilwaukee Bridge today, but U.S. 10 was scaled back to end west of Bay City at around the same time that this bridge was replaced with that one. So a new footing was built over the old footing and that is anchored down into bedrock, Chynoweth said. copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. the decision came to replace it with a high-level bridge. Back to: Section 2: Background We are working to learn more information. designed machines made for that particular project. in the first place. problems concerned the massive traffic tie-ups on the freeway each time During bridge maintenance, I-675 is used as a detour route for traffic. Support MLive.com. Share YOUR roads!We'vemorethan 13.000 roads but we want more! Copyright 2022 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved. the opening of the (original) Zilwaukee Bridge in 1960 it became clear The bridge wasnt even open for traffic yet at this point. The mayor said he also is concerned about emergency responders having easy access to the city. Zilwaukee Bridge: From the Beginning. The state fired the original contractors and the constant bridge problems started getting heat from angry legislators in Lansing. Copyright 2023 ClickOnDetroit.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. The shifting of the deck destroyed the bearing, damaged the pillar and foundations, broke apart concrete slabs of the deck, and misaligned other joints in the structure. Now, the bridge is very busy. We want your experiences too! For precast segments, each individual piece is cast against its ultimate onto the bridge, unhooks from the front end of the trailer, hooks to the An MDOT report found the 2008 issues were due to faulty documentation from the original construction, according to Michigan Highways. Thus, the new bridge is Brunner said MDOT will meet with government officials and business owners to review traffic patterns before construction begins. Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines. spans are complete, the last segment is cast in place to join the spans. The two new segments then are stressed to the For five years, it has routinely stored blueprints electronically, he inch in diameter. But the $3.3 million project hit some road blocks in March, forcing motorists to steer around the bridge for at least another two months. However, the size of interstate traffic was simply not appropriate for a small citynor did many drivers want to slow down on their way north to rural areas or south to Detroit. The current bridge replaced a smaller, bascule bridge (drawbridge) that was built in 1960. With regard to the bridge itself, 154 bearings installed during the bridge's construction in the 1980s were replaced with new ones made of "a high-density plastic material" according to MDOT's Engineer of Bridge Field Services Matthew J. Chynoweth. It took a decade to complete and was so plagued with problems it came very close to not opening at all. can be pulled from either end. Sunshine Skyway Bridge at Tampa, Fla., opened in 1987. built in western Europe and have been found to be generally more economical Do you know anyspectacular road?Click here to send us all the info, and we'll publish it! I was not able to get a photograph of the bridge as as. The northbound portion of the bridge was finally opened to traffic on December 23, 1987, just in time for Christmas. fabrication of the segments. The current eight-lane structure, completed in 1988, is the second such bridge at this location, replacing . The agency has vowed to hire experts in concrete segmental bridge construction for the next project. I say we go back to these days and watch the boats go by: 91.7 Ann Arbor/Detroit 104.1 Grand Rapids It was only 150 feet wide and several ships ended up clipping the bridge, causing damage and even more traffic issues. Still looking for information "and Bay City officials want to buy it, dismantle it and move it 7 1/2 miles north to replace bridge in city that collapsed in the 1950s. To protect them from corrosion, all the high strength, post-tensioned steel cables inside the . (You can read a lot more about the construction issue here). 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. directly on the bridge superstructure. The resulting fiasco was the worst in Michigan's transit history. of steel cable, and each strand is formed by seven wires about one-eighth Traffic is being rerouted along as follows: Here's a map of the detours and the other I-75 construction projects nearby: MDOT says work on the bridge includes "replacing bearings, bridge deck overlay and barrier repairs, and electrical work.". The cause, according to Michigan Highways, was construction loads at that location were too heavy. Prior to that, all through traffic in the Saginaw area was funnelled That report has been reproduced The 4-lane highway crossed the Saginaw River as a draw bridge. However, construction ground to a halt in 1982 when a significant accident paralyzed work. 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. The Zilwaukee Bridge is a high-level, segmental concrete bridge spanning the Saginaw River in the U.S. state of Michigan. The Department followed rigid procedures for quality control during the After eight years of construction, the northbound lanes of the Zilwaukee Bridge were opened Dec. 23, 1987. David J. Herber, L & B Cartage vice president, said bridge lane closures have cost the drivers of the companys 43 vehicles time and money. originally and prevents water seepage. Aerial map of Zilwaukee Bridges by Chris Bessert/Michigan Highways. BAY CITY, Mich. (WNEM) - The Bay Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced it is permanently changing its routes to avoid tolls on Liberty Bridge and . Adam has taught history, government, and economics to students in grades 6-12 for five years. and reconstructing the newly-completed I-675 loop MDOT closed the northbound lanes months longer than planned as a precaution and installed a steel brace on the outside of the massive concrete span that carries Interstate 75 traffic over the Saginaw River. In 1960, the new route opened -- and the Zilwaukee Bridge was born. dangerousroads.org is not responsible for the information contained in these pages. Each segment is manufactured with 10,000 pounds of reinforcing steel inside. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. As noted above, when the bridge was approximately half-complete, a major $77 million (not counting approaches and ramp work). 21.6M vehicles cross each year. It was a lime-stone hauler from Buffalo. In November 1978, bids were taken for either a steel or concrete bridge, according to MDOT records. While it may have seemed like a good idea in the late-1950s, soon after The so-called balanced cantilever construction went way out of balance. and another is attached to the opposite side. Traffic began using the Zilwaukee Bridge again on October 1, 2008. Crank up the tunes. Located in Zilwaukee, in Saginaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan, the Zilwaukee Bridge is one of the most spectacular bridges in the world. [4] On October 21, 2008 the bridge opened up to north and southbound traffic once again. All rights reserved. Great Lakes freighter traffic would force it to open about three times a day. The Zilwaukee Bridge is a high-level, segmental concrete bridge spanning the Saginaw River in the U.S. state of Michigan.The river serves as the boundary between Zilwaukee Township and the city of Zilwaukee at this point, which is approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) north of downtown Saginaw.. to turn the 70-foot trailer around on the 73-foot wide bridges, the trailer Many of the original stainless steel and teflon bearings have been replaced with a plastic material. in the early-1980s which added many millions to the cost and years to the After more than four years, MDOT announced a $70-million project to replace 154 of the bridge's bearings as well as rebuild four miles of the I-75/US-23 freeway between the I-675 junctions, replace the Janes Ave overpass, and repair and widen the Wadsworth Rd and CSX Railroad underpasses to the south of the bridge. There have been some issues with ongoing maintenance projects through the years. of concrete was installed on the bridge and the northbound lanes of the I-75/US-23 freeway 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. (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. This process is repeated until the entire span is closed. The Now, an average of 21.6 million vehicles cross the bridge per year. 23/U.S. Rod Meloni is an Emmy Award-winning Business Editor on Local 4 News and a Certified Financial Planner Professional. called tendons, to form a solid unit. Segmental bridges are in two general categories: precase and cast-in-place. mate on the structure, a process called "match-casting." The ships captain suffered minor injuries. to meet back up with US-23 (present-day M-13) removed so that river traffic would not be impeded. the span for more than a year. Flint Journal file photoTravelers go on the Zilwaukee Bridge during lunchtime in 1999. Segments are transported from the fabricating plant to the bridge by a time it opened for river traffic. The new bearings should last anywhere from 25 to 50 years, or possibly even longer, he said. Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement updated 7/1/2022). The Saginaw Township Republican indicated he wants to avoid a repeat of a snafu that forced thousands of motorists to detour from the northbound lanes of the Zilwaukee Bridge for most of 2008. The Zilwaukee Bridge was conceived as a way around I-75's drawbridge, called a bascule bridge, over the Saginaw River. This helps to ensure that the bridge could withstand about twice as much weight as is predicted during peak traffic hours. 23/U.S. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. The Zilwaukee Bridge has some impressive specifications. through downtown as the through route. There has been a Saginaw bridge for nearly 70 years. Officials confirmed Tulpehocken Forge Road is closed and they're asking people to avoid the area. bascule bridge was permanently closed on that datebut only to automobile A three-week project turned into six months, and crews ended up discovering that more than 30 of the new bearings werent properly designed and would not fit. The entire segment instantly sank five feet lower than the section they were attempting to attach it to. The original bridge routed traffic through the small city of Saginaw. with post-tensioned steel cables to form the deck, or superstructure, of Our concern is if they shut it down for one year in each way, it could have a major impact, Jolin said. It has 1592 concrete segments that weigh about 160 tons. The four-lane, bascule bridge (or drawbridge) opened in 1960. These bearings do require extensive maintenance and replacement, as they see more wear and tear than typical construction elements might. This balanced group of four The initial budget of $79 million had already been exceeded by $48 million, when at time in 1982, the bridge was roughly two-thirds completed, and a 150-foot (46 m) long segment weighing 6,700-ton (6,070 metric tonnes), not being properly counterbalanced, tipped down to being five feet (1.5 m) out of alignment, with the other end rising 3.5 feet (1.1 m). filled with cement grout under high pressure. The tilting also damaged the pier footing beneath it. girder. The bridge is built to carry more than double the heaviest traffic load expected during the worst traffic jams. and then locked in place with tapered steel wedges, a process called post-tensioning. Of Traffic shifted between I-75/US-23 and I-675 twice weekly to ensure three lanes were open in the direction of peak travel. TIL of Zilwaukee, a town in northern Michigan. Many have been On August 28, the temporary compression blocks started to crush, and a 300-foot-long bridge section sagged five feet on one end and three-and-a-half feet at the other. The total cost of the bridge project was around $127 million, with the federal funds paying for 90 percent of it, according to MDOT records. The mighty Mackinac Bridge is Michigans signature bridge, with its own rich history. The Zilwaukee Bridge exists as an alternative to the federal governments original I-75 design. 1987a nice Christmas present, four years after the bridge was to be When we were kids this thing was massive and scarrrrrryyyyy!! consisted of the new four-lane, double-leaf bascule (draw) bridge and a Copyright 2023 ClickOnDetroit.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. But in 1982, with the bridge about half-built, a major construction accident halted work. Top top it off, shipping traffic actually quadrupled in the years after It took several hours for tugs to move the ship back into Saginaw Bay. primary purpose of the epoxy is to act as an environmental seal of the There are some things that were really exciting for us as kids, but which are pretty annoying as adults. A match-cast segment is attached to one side of that pier group Now that is amazing. cast into each segment. It is the cables that hold all the segments in compression. concrete, forming another layer of protection for the steel cables. You are being asked to avoid the area. Idahosa noted that aside helping to reduce to the barest minimum the number of deaths at that portion of the highway, construction of a pedestrian bridge there would also help reduce the number of . Today, there are more than 70 segmental bridges either completed or under I feel like its a lifeline. He was 49 years old. 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. The dramatic failure of the Zilwaukee Bridge was successfully repaired by the State of Michigan in 1983. The southbound side opened the next summer. The origin of today's Zilwaukee Bridge can be traced back to the original The bearingsdesigned to support up to 8 million pounds eachrequire replacement because of normal wear and tear since the bridge's opening in 1987. The expectation was that adding this additional crossing would give vehicles more options and more direct routes, breaking up the traffic along the growing interstate. The . If you can imagine driving Up North, buckled up with the family, very excited to get away from the city and suburbs -- and boom -- the draw bridge is open for a passing freighter along the Saginaw River, and traffic is backed up for miles and miles and miles. At Zilwaukee, these jobs are accomplished by two specially Then again, there's not much about THIS bridge that I had known prior to when I first visited this website last year. deck of the old drawbridge now rests on the bottom of Lake Huron as a fish feet in length to the huge I-205 Freeway Bridge, spanning the Columbia Detroit Free Press noted "Containing and removing the toxic This important artery allows traffic to move through the area without entering downtown Saginaw. highway running from Detroit to the Mackinac Bridge. The original bid for the project was $76.8 million. The previous drawbridge was the only location at which the I-75 stopped between Florida and Michigan. before being installed. Zilwaukee Bridge - Old. a major concern with the public at the time. Or are you better off taking a different route? In this installment, MDOT. segments is then pulled together with high-strength steel cables, also MichiganDOT 6.12K subscribers June 3, 2014 -- This video is the latest in a series of In the Field video reports aimed at sharing innovations, research and new technology. A recent, major update in 2013 through 2015 replaced the original bearing pads at piers and expansion joints., which had a lifespan of around 25 years, Brunner said. being completed at either end of the new bridge, it was discovered one cannot effectively be injected or sealed. A pier footing cracked, presumably due to resulting stress. [Image: The bridge takes shape. SAGINAW, Mich. - Friday marks 35 years since the Michigan Department of Transportation opened the Zilwaukee Bridge. and can roll across these legs when necessary to move to a new position At the time, the project was the largest pre-cast concrete segmental bridge in the United States, and the largest project the MDOT had ever undertaken. What we learned from the Z-Bridge makes sense to apply, especially on those bridges, he said. the bridge opened, it also caused problems for traffic on the Saginaw River In fact, in 1979, the traffic jam was a whopping 56 miles long. 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. Create an account to start this course today. But in August of 1982, after more than half the bridge had taken shape disaster struck. needed to complete the bridge. Instead, a chemical compound called calcium magnesium acetate is used as an alternative. long flatbed truck and trailer. Workers then epoxy the segments together and run them through with steel tension wires. While the Zilwaukee Bridge is a bit shorter than the Mackinac Bridge, it is much wider. But the state has about half a dozen spans, such as the Blue Water, Zug Island and Mackinac bridges, where it could apply lessons learned from the Zilwaukee Bridge mishap, he said. crossing the bridge and continuing northerly toward Bay City. That way, neither vehicle nor shipping traffic would be impeded by the other. We lifted and tilted and jacked it into place. 2/24/2018 Aleana W. It's a iconic MI bridge. of firmly tensioned steel cables. Repair work began in the early summer of 1983 and totaled around $6.8 million. which are hollow and usually rectangular in shape. and constructed is a post-tensioned, segmental, box girder bridge and work The bearing replacement project consisted of construction crews lifting the bridge structure about an inch using jacks "the size of large wine barrels," according to MDOT. Back to: Table of Contents, Michigan The best, most concise description of the Zilwaukee Bridge can be found The Zilwaukee Bridge is a box-and-girder concrete segmental bridge that crosses the Saginaw River in Michigan. Precast segments, such as those at the Zilwaukee Bridge, are fabricated To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. Ken Haddad is the digital content and audience manager for WDIV / ClickOnDetroit.com. Lin International (TYLI) to perform construction engineering services. of the Zilwaukee Bridge, the details on the accident and the attendant The repair work added $500,000 to the $3.8 million project and postponed the bearing replacement project to 2012. It was opened in 1988 and is 8,000 feet (2440 m) long and 125 feet (38 m) at its highest point. en.wikipedia.org. in France and Germany in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Construction crews began work on a major renovation project on the Zilwaukee Bridge this week. The original Zilwaukee Bridge as a four-lane draw bridge. On precast segmental bridges, the concrete segments must be delivered planned at that time, the 1953 bypass would become part of a much bigger accident, what caused it and what was done to remedy the situation can Instead, a chemical compound called calcium magnesium acetate is used as an alternative. Another important step is taken to protect steel cables from corrosion. through downtown via US-10 and US-23. The state spent $120 million to build the bridge but design problems and. Start your calculations and predictions will three lanes over the Zilwaukee Bridge be enough? bridge was opened to traffic on Monday, September 19, 1988. subjected every day to far heavier weights than it will ever experience There were discussions about abandoning the project completely. The tractor and trailer combined weigh 102 tons. More. the crossing would cause more problems then it solved. The bridge was built segment by segment, working from one end of the river toward the other side. Copyright 2022 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved. These joints have to be kept perfectly immobile during construction, so they are filled with temporary blocks held in place with steel tendons. Several ideas were proposed, including tunneling under the river, but eventually they decided on a box-and-girder, concrete segmental bridge that would simply be elevated high enough for ships to pass underneath. High pressure injection ** 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. The state spent $120 million to build the bridge but design problems and long delays left everyone uncertain it would ever get used. Use our interactive map to explore the roads or just discover them by browsing the site. Saturday, August 20th 2022 Crashes impacting NB and SB 75 on the Zilwaukee Bridge. The total cost of the bridge project was around $127 million, with the federal funds paying for 90 percent of it, according to MDOT records. According to MDOT records, other proposals included barring river traffic, relocating the freeway and digging a tunnel under the river. In an August 22, 1989 article, The as well. Each is formed by 12 strands The construction of the structure was plagued with difficulties: when it was approximately half-complete, a major construction accident halted all work in August 1982. The bridge carries the I-75 / US 23 road. be found in Section of the new bridge as segments are erected one against another and are post-tensioned It assures thatthe Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. At its peak, the bridge is 125 feet above water level. the bridge. This high-level, segmental concrete bridge spanning the Saginaw River is said to be the perfect example on how not to build a bridge. The bid for the steel bridge totaled $86.2 million. The final bridge design selected The segments were cast of specially designed concrete which is one-third When the bridge opened for river traffic, it sometimes caused miles-long traffic jams, especially during heavy travel days around the holidays and the start of firearms deer hunting season. There will be about 27,000 miles of eighth-inch wire in the completed 1.5-mile-long bridge. Michigan Highways > In Depth: The Zilwaukee Bridge, Page Contents: History The Replacement & Accident Ongoing Maintenance Zilwaukee The northbound lane of bridge is now closed due to construction and will likely remain closed through July 4 . For the first three years, everything went according to plan, and all of the piers were constructed on schedule. At Zilwaukee, During construction, the expansion joints were held in place by compression blocks that prevented them from moving until the box-girder deck was completed. The issue of one-way traffic is of great concern to local businesses and local government, he wrote in the letter to Steudle. The Zilwaukee Bridge along Interstate 75 over the Saginaw River. Each one was closely inspected by a specially Construction of the bridge would resume. The project is expected to last through January 2015. a new contractor. It stands on its own steel legs The State Journal story from Nov. 11, 1960. Around the time of opening, the Zilwaukee Bridge saw roughly 11.3 million vehicles cross per year, according to MDOT. Ground view shows massive dimensions as they come together and fills the tiny imperfections in the faces. Department of Transportation issued a report detailing the background However, construction of the new segmental concrete bridge ran into trouble in 1982 when an expansion joint was overloaded, crushing the temporary expansion block. A track-mounted crane atop the launching Others just marvel at its vast span and view of the Saginaw River. As a child, watching the bridge open and close was pretty cool, but when you're an adult, running late for work and stuck in traffic, the magic is kind of lost. Why did it happen? The accident delayed construction for over 2 years.Pic: http://media.mlive.com/saginawnews_impact/photo/zilwaukee-bridge-bbec235072ccfec4.jpg. Kayla is a Web Producer for ClickOnDetroit. 0:00 / 1:50 The history, design and construction of the Zilwaukee Bridge 30 Years Later MLive 423K subscribers Subscribe 20 3.5K views 5 years ago Saturday, Dec. 23 2017 will mark the 30th. An average of more than 6,600 pounds of steel cables holds each segment in place. The Zilwaukee Bridge is a massive segmental concrete bridge that carries the I-75 over the Saginaw River in Michigan. 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. The segments are joined To use information contained on this site is to do so at your own risk. The original Zilwaukee Bridge ended up causing more traffic than it eased, due to the fact that commuters in both directions had to stop whenever the drawbridge opened. two-lane highway bypass on the east side of the City of Saginaw completed Needless to say, the draw bridge wasnt exactly working. 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. in the completed 1.5-mile-long bridge. Bridge in Zilwaukee and Zilwaukee Township, Michigan, "Z-Bridge screw up remains under investigation", "$70M construction project planned for Zilwaukee Bridge in April", "In the Field Report - "The Zilwaukee Bridge project", "Why Bridges Have Failed Throughout History", "The Z-Bridge: The Turbulent History Behind Michigan's Zilwaukee Bridge", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Zilwaukee_Bridge&oldid=1120452718, Buildings and structures in Saginaw County, Michigan, Transportation in Saginaw County, Michigan, Bridges of the United States Numbered Highway System, Short description is different from Wikidata, Infobox mapframe without OSM relation ID on Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 7 November 2022, at 02:38. If not replaced, the normal shifting movements of the bridge would cause additional damage, thus reducing its lifespan. after it is opened to traffic. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. fixed to the opposite end. at the intersecting roads. The Saginaw Township Republican indicated he wants to avoid a repeat of a snafu that forced thousands of motorists to detour from the northbound lanes of the Zilwaukee Bridge for most of 2008. MDOT spokesman William L. Shreck said old construction plans are not a new issue, but the problem with the Zilwaukee Bridge was. The segment of freeway utilizing the Zilwaukee Bridge is part of I-75 and US23. had also been converted to full freeway with overpasses and interchanges By 1982, the 52 piers that would support the bridge were finished, and expansion joints were being added. The southbound lanes opened in the fall of 1988, at which point the old bascule bridge was officially closed. And they did this to try and trick new settlers, like immigrants, into thinking it was actually Milwaukee. The freighter was fine but the bridge suffered substantial damage. each cable is about the size of a man's wrist. We need to make sure that we have good agreements with partner about how our bidding changes when the opponents come into the auction. one of the most spectacular bridges in the world. The towns population, as of 2010, was about 1,600. The segmental bridge is built from individual concrete pieces, or segments, While the bridge has performed very well in the years since it has opened The immediate response to the accident was to halt construction and investigate the extent of the damage. ), The According to a 1979 article in the Owosso Argus-Press, the City of Bay City considered purchasing the original Zilwaukee Bridge, paying to have it transported downstream on the Saginaw River, and erected to replace the Cass Bridge, which collapsed in the 1950s. other ideas had been batted around, including a tunnel under the river 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. One end of the 300-foot span supported by that pillar sagged five feet, while the other end was lifted 3 feet into the air. on this website in its entirety for informational purposes and can be on the job weigh 160 tons, so the loaded unit can weigh up to 262 tons, He has a BA in Philosophy from UC Santa Barbara, and an MA in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from CEVRO Institute, Prague, Czech Republic. The total launching girder apparatus weighs He succumbed to a year-long battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer, in March 2018. The incident in August 1982 was caused by a large amount of mispositioned weight during the installation of a segment between two piers, according to MDOT. Crossing the Saginaw River may have been exciting for kids who liked drawbridges, but enough adults became tired of the constant traffic that a new structure was needed. Without the Zilwaukee Bridge, it would be much more difficult for drivers to pass through the region. It caused serious damage. Almost exactly nine months later, the southbound side of the The report found that undocumented field changes occurred during construction.". 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. found at the following link. Rated 5 / 5. completely cured, the expoxy is stronger than the concrete segments which repairs as well as a discussion of the safety of the bridge, which was One place where this really became an issue was in the town of Zilwaukee, Michigan in the US. Traffic heading north each weekend, and south when the weekend is over, will still be able to traverse three lanes on the bridge. portion of the new route in the Saginaw area was opened to traffic. The $3.3 million project was further hindered when crews determined that more than 30 new bearings were not designed properly. The river serves as the boundary between Zilwaukee Township and the city of Zilwaukee at this point, which is approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) north of downtown Saginaw. The Michigan Department of Transportation says it will close two lanes of traffic on the I-75 Zilwaukee Bridge tomorrow and Thursday. to build than steel bridges and less expensive to maintain because of corrosion About 15 years after it opened, plans to replace it with a high-level bridge would start gaining steam, according to Michigan Highways. Deck width: 74.0 ft. Also called I-75 Saginaw River Bridge Approximate latitude, longitude +43.48232, -83.91243 (decimal degrees) Originally, the bridge seemed like a big improvement, but it ran into problems rather quickly. Groves and Sons Company was the low bidder on a contract to complete the remaining bridge, and they engaged T.Y. http://media.mlive.com/saginawnews_impact/photo/zilwaukee-bridge-bbec235072ccfec4.jpg. "These hand-written plans, drafted around 1980, were used to build the original bridge. Were talking about, of course, the Zilwaukee Bridge. On example of a common but not simple auction is when the opponents compete vs. our 1NT Semi-Forcing bid. The cost was approximately $6.8 million. traffic. Traffic is being rerouted along as follows: Wednesdays - Saturdays They rejected a proposed steel bridge in favor of a slightly cheaper concrete model estimated at $77M. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. If you need help with the Public File, call (313) 222-0566. In 1979, with its Joint Venture partner Stevin Construction, Toebe won the contract to construct the Zilwaukee Bridge near Saginaw, Michigan. This was done because the truck and trailer wouldnt have enough space to turn around. Construction on the new Zilwaukee Bridge began in 1979. polychorinated biphenyl will cost at least $100,000 and could delay completion This only after The agency's Bay Region spokeswoman Anita Richardson said MDOT will follow the recommendations of an independent report on the mishap to make sure construction mistakes dont occur in the future on the Zilwaukee Bridge or on other Bay Region road work. On Saturday, the bridge has three southbound lanes, while northbound traffic. Engineers said even after 35 years, its holding up well. In 1960, the first These features expand or contract with the temperature, giving the bridge the ability to adjust to both the warm Michigan summers and extreme colds of winter without sacrificing structural stability. River at the border of Washington and Oregon, opened in 1982, and the new girder picks up the segments from the truck and delivers them to the location Cracks smaller than .004 inches (AP Photo/Michael Hollenbeck/The Saginaw News. The bridge has twin decks built of a series Mark Brush was Michigan Radios Digital Media Director. course, for many Michiganders, the Zilwaukee Bridge evokes a response harkening 10. The situation with old plans has been around for years, he said. completion. The bridge design called for expansion joints that would enable the bridge to expand and contract as the temperature rose and fell. Add onto that the fact that the drawbridge span was pretty narrow, resulting in several ships running into the bridge and getting stuck, and it became pretty obvious that a new bridge was needed. Unfortunately, something happened that would change that plan. 195 lessons. Originally anticipated to last a few weeks, the project instead stretched more than six months when construction workers from Midwest Bridge Company of Williamston drilled into one of the bridge's steel tensioning rods. In 1979, construction started on a new, elevated bridge that ships could simply pass underneath. Department of Transportation, Zilwaukee Bridge: of high-strength reinforced concrete segments held together by thousands Zilwaukee Bridge. Really makes me wonder - if that was a seriously considered plan, what happened? Investigators found that much of the bridge was sound, but some of the pier columns needed to be reinforced before work could continue. The project ran from April 2013 through 2015. . in an MDOT-produced publication from the early-1990s: The (Thanks to Claire Kerk for the tip!). The incident added many years to the projected completion of the new bridge. If youd like to read more in depth about the history of the Zilwaukee Bridge, check out this A-to-Z guide from Michigan Highways. Traffic heading north each weekend, and south when the weekend is over, will still be able to traverse three lanes on the bridge. It was actually a four-lane draw bridge and a freeway beginning at the northern end of the. [5] During 2014, special custom-made jacks were put into place as a stop-gap measure while bearings were replaced.[6]. The building and opening of the Zilwaukee Bridge: Yet, five years later than expected, on Dec. 23, 1987, the first vehicles crossed the northbound side. They look like this: According to Michigan Highways, MDOT engineer Matthew Chynoweth says the bearings for the Zilwaukee Bridge are getting worn out. A truck hauled the segments up one by one on a double-side trailer that allowed the truck to circle around after dropping the load and hitch back up on the other side. We have some major businesses here in town that must have that expressway open.. However, the most significant reason was the overloading of the expansion joint. You are being asked to avoid the. and one set outside were specially tailored to cast the 1,592 segments The current bridge is not the first Zilwaukee River crossing. T-shirts and other items emblazoned with an image of a broken Zilwaukee Bridge and the word "Oops were available at local gas stations, according to residents. Adding insult to injury, the contractor discovered that more than 30 of the new bearings weren't properly designed and would not fit where they were to be installed. The mile-and-a-half long bridge replaces Work started in 1979 and was supposed to finish in 1983. part of the I-75/US-10/US-23 freeway. The bridge was only 150 feet wide and several ships actually hit Investigators said there were five reasons for the failure. The device is 940 feet long and can easily bridge across the longest The southbound side of the bridge would open to traffic the following fall in 1988, according to Michigan Highways. the bridge was completed and the back-ups on the freeway reached three site. The Zilwaukee Bridge wasnt the only option pitched when thinking about how to stop the traffic jams. After an extensive investigation, five separate factors were identified, but the main issue was that too much construction weight was placed on the joint while the deck was being built. The original bid for the project was $76.8 million. All rights reserved (About Us). Much more on the It was time to start assembling the concrete segments of the bridge surface. posted to the USENET newsgroup alt.great-lakes the Four years later, MDOT announced a $70 million project to replace 154 of the bridges bearings, as well as to rebuild four miles of the freeway. Its purpose, though, was largely as a seal to keep out water and roadway contaminants. The bridge in question that "collapsed in the 1950s" has to be the Cass Avenue bridge, though re-using this bridge is something I've never heard about before. In a recent e-mail to staffers, Kahn said he was concerned that this is a potential recurring construction mistake, recurring unnecessary costs and delays, and potentially dangerous at projects statewide. Repairs totaled $6.8 million. Zilwaukee Bridge: From the Beginning, The The concrete bid was $76.8 million. are installed. Here's a copy of letters this week from an MDOT engineer to Kahn and from Kahn to MDOT's director about the Zilwaukee Bridge construction mishap. Because it would be virtually impossible News never stops. on the bridge did not resume until late 1984 under a new contract with Each is formed by 12 strands of steel cable, and each strand is formed by seven wires about one-eighth inch in diameter. My concern is (if) there are other examples out there of marked drawings that are incomplete. 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. With the coming of the Interstate Highway System in the late-1950s, the back end and drives directly off. Six steps were required to bring the tilted 300-foot deck section back to its intened position. The town's founders called it Zilwaukee to confuse it with the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin in hopes of luring settlers there to work. The website is for information purposes only and we assume no liability for decisions made as a result of the information provided here. 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. The present structure was designed to relieve traffic congestion along the freeway crossing it, resulting from repeated openings of the draw span for lake freighter traffic serving industrial sites along the river. Concrete stringer bridge over Saginaw River on Interstate 75/U.S. Boat traffic was also backed up on the river, as shipping traffic quadrupled in the years after the bridge opened. It also damaged the pier underneath. Photo taken by Douglas Butler in August 2014, License: Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY). There will be about 27,000 miles of eighth-inch wire MDOT Bay City Transportation Service Center Manager Gregg Brunner said But in the 1980s, the Zilwaukee Bridge controversially turned into Michigans most expensive. The Zilwauke Bridge is so high because it must allow boats to past. [3] The Zilwaukee Bridge is approximately 8,000 feet (2,400m) in length and rises 125 feet (38m) at its highest point.[1][2]. There are more than 4,000 miles of post-tensioned steel cable in the 1.5-mile-long bridge. In the early-1950s, the Michigan State Highway Department constructed a 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. 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