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. All rights reserved (About Us). be found in Section It wasnt until 1987 that the final piece of concrete would be installed, and the northbound lanes of I-75/US-23 were routed over the bridge just before Christmas in 1987. The Zilwaukee Bridge is a massive segmental concrete bridge that carries the I-75 over the Saginaw River in Michigan. site. through downtown as the through route. Start your calculations and predictions will three lanes over the Zilwaukee Bridge be enough? The final bridge design selected Or are you better off taking a different route? A match-cast segment is attached to one side of that pier group More. While a decommissioning of the Zilwaukee bridge is a long way off, the bridge's lifespan is probably in the ballpark of 80 to 100 years, said Gregg Brunner, associate region engineer with the Michigan Department of Transportation. 21.6M vehicles cross each year. from leaking into the bridge itself. You are being asked to avoid the area. The original bid for the project was $76.8 million. of the Zilwaukee Bridge, the details on the accident and the attendant Aerial map of Zilwaukee Bridges by Chris Bessert/Michigan Highways. since the bridges construction in the 1980s, the agency has used The worst back-ups, of course, occurred during 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. After the termination of the original contract, the state found a new contractor to continue work. primary purpose of the epoxy is to act as an environmental seal of the Brunner said MDOT will meet with government officials and business owners to review traffic patterns before construction begins. Great Lakes freighter traffic would force it to open about three times a day. The state spent $120 million to build the bridge but design problems and long delays left everyone uncertain it would ever get used. There will be about 27,000 miles of eighth-inch wire in the completed 1.5-mile-long bridge. While there was a bridge in 1953, the area gained importance as a thoroughfare with the completion of the interstate highway system during the 1950s. Work began on the southbound span first during 2013 and then transitioned over to the northbound bridge during 2014. 195 lessons. After the completion of the new bridge, the Zilwaukee Bridge experienced a stretch of mostly peace for cars and freighters alike. 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. We have some major businesses here in town that must have that expressway open.. It didnt really work, and Zilwaukee did not turn into Milwaukee. Top top it off, shipping traffic actually quadrupled in the years after Clearly, a new solution was needed. Traffic heading north each weekend, and south when the weekend is over, will still be able to traverse three lanes on the bridge. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. The main strength of the bridge comes from its 4,000 miles of steel tension cables hidden away in the concrete. Each one was closely inspected by a specially http://media.mlive.com/saginawnews_impact/photo/zilwaukee-bridge-bbec235072ccfec4.jpg. He's been with WDIV since 2013. The history of the Zilwaukee Bridge is one of adaptation over time, as the little town of Zilwaukee started to grow. of an epoxy resin makes the repaired area stronger than the concrete was mate on the structure, a process called "match-casting." In this installment, MDOT. While it may have seemed like a good idea in the late-1950s, soon after This was done because the truck and trailer wouldnt have enough space to turn around. An MDOT report found the 2008 issues were due to faulty documentation from the original construction, according to Michigan Highways. Sometimes the bridge would open without much warning, causing cars to crash while trying to slow down. The best, most concise description of the Zilwaukee Bridge can be found It makes for an imposing sight, and the Zilwaukee Riverfront Park sits nearby. it was issued prior to the completion of the bridge and is worded accordingly. Its like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. Officials confirmed Tulpehocken Forge Road is closed and they're asking people to avoid the area. dangerousroads.org is not responsible for the information contained in these pages. 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. 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. 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. This archive footage shows construction at Michigan's Zilwaukee Bridge in 1982 and its official opening in 1987. 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. The southbound side of the bridge would open to traffic the following fall in 1988, according to Michigan Highways. are 73.5 feet wide and either eight feet or 12 feet long. In 1960, the new route opened -- and the Zilwaukee Bridge was born. Deck width: 74.0 ft. Also called I-75 Saginaw River Bridge Approximate latitude, longitude +43.48232, -83.91243 (decimal degrees) 1987a nice Christmas present, four years after the bridge was to be Why is the Zilwaukee Bridge so tall? "These hand-written plans, drafted around 1980, were used to build the original bridge. needed to complete the bridge. 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. Copyright 2022 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved. Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines. MDOT's policy requires concrete cracks be repaired if they are larger than 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. Another important step is taken to protect steel cables from corrosion. In the 1980's, Toebe completed a number of large . the bridge opened, it also caused problems for traffic on the Saginaw River back to a major construction accident while bridge was not yet half completed While the most obvious (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 work was completed in 2015 and was expected extend the life of the bridge until 2087. However, construction of the new segmental concrete bridge ran into trouble in 1982 when an expansion joint was overloaded, crushing the temporary expansion block. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. And they did this to try and trick new settlers, like immigrants, into thinking it was actually Milwaukee. You are being asked to avoid the. 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. in an MDOT-produced publication from the early-1990s: The It tried to drop an anchor, but it was too late -- the ship slammed into the southbound bridge. of steel cable, and each strand is formed by seven wires about one-eighth Department of Transportation issued a report detailing the background After a bridge span is complete and construction The Zilwaukee Bridge is a high-level bridge carrying I-75 (and U.S. 23) over the Saginaw River at Zilwaukee. Much more on the 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 hauler, based in Zilwaukee, transports auto parts and agriculture products. plant at the bridge site. habitat. News never stops. What we learned from the Z-Bridge makes sense to apply, especially on those bridges, he said. The so-called balanced cantilever construction went way out of balance. [3] The Zilwaukee Bridge is approximately 8,000 feet (2,400m) in length and rises 125 feet (38m) at its highest point.[1][2]. The bid for the steel bridge totaled $86.2 million. That report has been reproduced auto transporter trucks weighing 40 tons each. 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. Chris has a master's degree in history and teaches at the University of Northern Colorado. Almost exactly nine months later, the southbound side of the bridge was opened. Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. Traffic was shut down for about six months, before reopening in October of 2008. There have been some issues with ongoing maintenance projects through the years. bascule bridge was permanently closed on that datebut only to automobile Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement updated 7/1/2022). The segments at Zilwaukee were constructed at a specially designed casting The can be pulled from either end. 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.. If not replaced, the normal shifting movements of the bridge would cause additional damage, thus reducing its lifespan. 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. This was At Zilwaukee, these jobs are accomplished by two specially 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. The segments are joined Its a lot of extra time and miles for my truck because were right off I-75, he said. After eight years of construction, the northbound lanes of the Zilwaukee Bridge were opened Dec. 23, 1987. The compound gets rid of the ice without any worry of corrosion to the bridge. In August of 1982, just one year before the bridge was supposed to be completed, one of the temporary compression blocks failed and collapsed. The grout cures to become The project is expected to last through January 2015. The segmental bridge is built from individual concrete pieces, or segments, ZILWAUKEE State Sen. Roger N. Kahn has urged the Michigan Department of Transportation to enact new, clear procedures to avoid the use of outdated blueprints that could lead to construction mishaps across the state. Each cable is stretched with hydraulic jacks, stressed to nearly 200 tons, The bearingsdesigned to support up to 8 million pounds eachrequire replacement because of normal wear and tear since the bridge's opening in 1987. 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. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. 4: The Accident in The directly on the bridge superstructure. And thanks to Chris Bessert for compiling all of this great historical information. 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 cause, according to Michigan Highways, was construction loads at that location were too heavy. In 2008, a $3.3 million construction project to replace bridge bearings hit a snag. back end and drives directly off. They ride electric cars inside to inspect and do repairs. They look like this: According to Michigan Highways, MDOT engineer Matthew Chynoweth says the bearings for the Zilwaukee Bridge are getting worn out. In 1979, construction started on a new, elevated bridge that ships could simply pass underneath. 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. completion. It also damaged the pier underneath. This only after 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). Were talking about, of course, the Zilwaukee Bridge. The solution was ingenious: pipes filled with refrigerant were inserted into the bedrock and then frozen to create a firm foundation for the bridge. The first contract totaled $75 million. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. 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