The original Zilwaukee Bridge as a four-lane draw bridge. I feel like its a lifeline. At Zilwaukee, each cable is about the size of a man's wrist. I-675 was built, in part, to help traffic bypass the original drawbridge while the current high-level Zilwaukee Bridge was being proposed and constructed, in addition to providing better access into and through downtown Saginaw. The Zilwaukee Bridge has some impressive specifications. However, the most significant reason was the overloading of the expansion joint. Around the time of opening, the Zilwaukee Bridge saw roughly 11.3 million vehicles cross per year, according to MDOT. of the new bridge as segments are erected one against another and are post-tensioned 21.6M vehicles cross each year. 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. 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. 2/24/2018 Aleana W. It's a iconic MI bridge. 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. TIL of Zilwaukee, a town in northern Michigan. In 1960, the new route opened -- and the Zilwaukee Bridge was born. construction accident halted all work in August 1982. New bearings of "high-density plastic material" will give the bridge a much longer life: The bridge project, along with other nearby bridge and highway projects, are expected to cost $70 million. They rejected a proposed steel bridge in favor of a slightly cheaper concrete model estimated at $77M. 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. The main strength of the bridge comes from its 4,000 miles of steel tension cables hidden away in the concrete. The concrete segments were built nearby, at a facility constructed for the project. The last one was cast in late 1986. 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. The concrete bid was $76.8 million. BAY CITY, Mich. (WNEM) - The Bay Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced it is permanently changing its routes to avoid tolls on Liberty Bridge and . The A track-mounted crane atop the launching Kayla is a Web Producer for ClickOnDetroit. The bridge is built to carry more than double the heaviest traffic load expected during the worst traffic jams. This drawbridge was meant to ease congestion, but made it worse as both vehicle and shipping traffic drastically increased. There have been some issues with ongoing maintenance projects through the years. Check back here for updates. The new contractor developed a method of heating the concrete to allow construction during the winter. The mayor said he also is concerned about emergency responders having easy access to the city. Cast-in-place bridge segments are cast in traveling forms placed Or are you better off taking a different route? In an August 22, 1989 article, The Today, there are more than 70 segmental bridges either completed or under accident, what caused it and what was done to remedy the situation can 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. Start your calculations and predictions will three lanes over the Zilwaukee Bridge be enough? 23 chapters | beginning at the existing route (Dixie Hwy) in Bridgeport, continuing northerly While the Zilwaukee Bridge is a bit shorter than the Mackinac Bridge, it is much wider. 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). two-lane highway bypass on the east side of the City of Saginaw completed The river serves as the boundary between Zilwaukee Township and the city of Zilwaukee at this point, which is approximately 5 miles (8.0km) north of downtown Saginaw. Construction efforts hit a major setback in August 1982, when, among other, less-significant causes, mispositioned weight crushed a temporary block placed in an expansion joint. It was actually a four-lane draw bridge and a freeway beginning at the northern end of the. and reconstructing the newly-completed I-675 loop Almost exactly nine months later, the southbound side of the http://www.michiganhighways.org/listings/US-010.html. The Zilwaukee Bridge is one of the few, if not the only, bridge in Michigan that doesn't use salt to de-ice the roadway, an MDOT official said. 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. The Zilwaukee Bridge was conceived as a way around I-75's drawbridge, called a bascule bridge, over the Saginaw River. bascule bridge was permanently closed on that datebut only to automobile I dont know whether or not the problem with the Z-Bridge is limited to the Z-Bridge or not, said Kahn, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, in a recent interview. Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines. built in western Europe and have been found to be generally more economical girder picks up the segments from the truck and delivers them to the location Traffic heading north each weekend, and south when the weekend is over, will still be able to traverse three lanes on the bridge. 107. The total launching girder apparatus weighs Sometimes the bridge would open without much warning, causing cars to crash while trying to slow down. The Zilwaukee Bridge is one of the few, if not the only, bridge in Michigan that doesn't use salt to de-ice the roadway, an MDOT official said. He has a BA in Philosophy from UC Santa Barbara, and an MA in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from CEVRO Institute, Prague, Czech Republic. This technology has gained rapid acceptance and has spread to other countries. The segments at Zilwaukee were constructed at a specially designed casting I believe it was demolished in 1989. repairs as well as a discussion of the safety of the bridge, which was In 1978, the first shovels went into the ground to build high enough to allow high-speed traffic and freighters through at the same time. More. 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. Ha! While the most obvious This story is a bit of legend, but its mostly accepted by local historians. called tendons, to form a solid unit. Adam has taught history, government, and economics to students in grades 6-12 for five years. 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. All rights reserved (About Us). 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. (Thanks to Claire Kerk for the tip!). Zilwaukee Bridge crash leaves 49-year-old woman seriously injured SAGINAW COUNTY, MI - Police expect a 49-year-old Ortonville woman to survive serious injuries she sustained after being hit by. The ships captain suffered minor injuries. the Saginaw River at Zilwaukee. It helps prevent water and roadway contaminants The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. to meet back up with US-23 (present-day M-13) Without the Zilwaukee Bridge, it would be much more difficult for drivers to pass through the region. Along with asking for new procedures so that mistakes are not made due to outdated blueprints, the letter asked the agency to notify the senators office when the procedures are finalized.. construction in the United States and Canada. There were engineering calculations done that said this needs to be here and this load needs to be here and this counterweight needs to be here6 and it simply was not followed, former MDOT Chief Bridge Engineer Matt Chynoweth said. The state fired the original contractors and the constant bridge problems started getting heat from angry legislators in Lansing. I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. northeast of the city. A 69 News crew is at the scene of this developing story. According to a story Published: Jan. 16, 2023 at 8:39 AM PST. Prior to that, all through traffic in the Saginaw area was funnelled Nearly having to start over, construction took another 3 years, but in winter of 1987, the northbound lanes of the Zilwaukee Bridge finally opened to the public. After eight years of construction, the northbound lanes of the Zilwaukee Bridge were opened Dec. 23, 1987. 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. or pillar. 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. 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. Zilwaukee Bridge is ahigh level bridge carrying I-75 [and US-23] over ** 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. 23/U.S. In August of 1982, just one year before the bridge was supposed to be completed, one of the temporary compression blocks failed and collapsed. It also damaged the pier underneath. site. Were talking about, of course, the Zilwaukee Bridge. Once repairs were made, a new contractor was hired to complete the bridge once the initial contractor (Stevin Construction) and the state agreed to terminate their contract in exchange for both sides dropping their lawsuits over the accident. Before she joined the team in 2018 she worked at WILX in Lansing as a digital producer. The original bid for the project was $76.8 million. Clearly, a new solution was needed. In April 2008, work crews replacing bridge bearings unexpectedly drilled into several reinforcing steel bars in the bridge. to four hours in duration and often up to 30 miles in length. The bridge carries the I-75 / US 23 road. Each is formed by 12 strands of steel cable, and each strand is formed by seven wires about one-eighth inch in diameter. 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. Ken Haddad is the digital content and audience manager for WDIV / ClickOnDetroit.com. Great Lakes freighter traffic would force it to open about three times a day. The Zilwaukee Bridge is a high-level bridge carrying I-75 (and U.S. 23) over the Saginaw River at Zilwaukee. inch in diameter. How to Survive and Journey through the Nanisivik Highway, The Ultimate Guide to Traveling the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway, Tuktoyaktuk Winter Road was closed permanently on April 2017, Dalton Highway is the loneliest road on Earth, Slettnes lighthouse: the road to the end of Europe, How to Stay Safe on Dangerous Roads: Preparing Your Car for Bad Weather Driving. The project is expected to last through January 2015. At its peak, the bridge is 125 feet above water level. in the completed 1.5-mile-long bridge. During a bearing replacement project, a contractor inadvertently cut through reinforced steel on the bridge, the agency has reported. 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. are installed. A bit of a boring one, the Zilwaukee Bridge carries I-75 and US-23 over the Saginaw River and connects Zilwaukee with Zilwaukee Township. 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. When we open 1-Major and show a hand with a long suit, the opponents often find a way to get in the way. of firmly tensioned steel cables. as well. Traffic began using the Zilwaukee Bridge again on October 1, 2008. with many steel cables to form the decks.]. The Zilwauke Bridge is so high because it must allow boats to past. The mile-and-a-half long bridge replaces where they are to be erected. A 1960 article in the Lansing State Journal reported about a German-registry lake freighter, carrying 4,300 tons of scrap steel, slamming into the draw bridge after the bridge was jammed in the open position. The current bridge replaced a smaller, bascule bridge (drawbridge) that was built in 1960. habitat. 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