how to avoid zilwaukee bridge

The . The northbound lane of bridge is now closed due to construction and will likely remain closed through July 4 . Yes, the Zilwaukee Bridge of 1960 was a drawbridge. it joins. The bridge is named after the small city in Saginaw County, Zilwaukee, obviously. auto transporter trucks weighing 40 tons each. 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. Segments 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. Construction began in 1979 with an expected completion date three years later, but the bridge was not available for traffic for nine years. 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 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. At Zilwaukee, these jobs are accomplished by two specially On Saturday, the bridge has three southbound lanes, while northbound traffic. 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. A track-mounted crane atop the launching Construction crews began work on a major renovation project on the Zilwaukee Bridge this week. planned at that time, the 1953 bypass would become part of a much bigger on the bridge did not resume until late 1984 under a new contract with The final bridge would not be completed until 1987-88, but finally, the people of Zilwaukee had a bridge that could handle their growth. Here are some facts, myths and statistics about the bridge, which turns 30 this weekend. The main strength of the bridge comes from its 4,000 miles of steel tension cables hidden away in the concrete. Cracks smaller than .004 inches Traffic was shut down for about six months, before reopening in October of 2008. of the Zilwaukee Bridge, the details on the accident and the attendant at the intersecting roads. earlier two-lane highway of Saginaw was incorporated into the new Interstate 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. Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines. 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. 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. major holiday weekends and during the fall hunting season. It needs to hold up about another 50 to 60 years considering it could take roughly $1 billion to replace it. There will be about 27,000 miles of eighth-inch wire in the completed 1.5-mile-long bridge. There has been a Saginaw bridge for nearly 70 years. .004 inches (about the thickness of a human hair). The Saginaw News article also details an instance where Michigan State Police raised the bridge to stop a fleeing criminal on I-75. 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. 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 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). On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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. It caused serious damage. These bearings do require extensive maintenance and replacement, as they see more wear and tear than typical construction elements might. en.wikipedia.org. The Zilwaukee Bridge is a high-level, segmental concrete bridge spanning the Saginaw River in the U.S. state of Michigan. And the final contract to complete the bridge after a construction mishap totaled $38 million. The bridge wasnt even open for traffic yet at this point. However, the bridge caused long traffic jams whenever it opened, so local officials commissioned an alternative. The bridge carries the I-75 / US 23 road. 10. time it opened for river traffic. Unfortunately, that wasn't the reality. each cable is about the size of a man's wrist. with many steel cables to form the decks.]. He's been with WDIV since 2013. But in the 1980s, the Zilwaukee Bridge controversially turned into Michigans most expensive. This archive footage shows construction at Michigan's Zilwaukee Bridge in 1982 and its official opening in 1987. the bridge. text here is reproduced word-for-word from the original report and 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. Aerial map of Zilwaukee Bridges by Chris Bessert/Michigan Highways. before being installed. The segmental bridge is built from individual concrete pieces, or segments, In the early-1950s, the Michigan State Highway Department constructed a Learn about the Zilwaukee Bridge on the Saginaw River, its history, and its height. mate on the structure, a process called "match-casting." 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. The mayor said he also is concerned about emergency responders having easy access to the city. 107. It was thought that this would accommodate both boat and vehicle traffic. Great Lakes freighter traffic would force it to open about three times a day. Instead, a chemical compound called calcium magnesium acetate is used as an alternative. Before she joined the team in 2018 she worked at WILX in Lansing as a digital producer. It was opened in 1988 and is 8,000 feet (2440 m) long and 125 feet (38 m) at its highest point. 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.. Boat traffic was also backed up on the river, as shipping traffic quadrupled in the years after the bridge opened. During the six-month shutdown, traffic was rerouted via I-675 through downtown Saginaw and massive back-ups were common. They weigh between It didnt really work, and Zilwaukee did not turn into Milwaukee. the bridge, causing damage and additional tie-ups on the freeway as well. Many of the original stainless steel and teflon bearings have been replaced with a plastic material. With the implementation of Interstate Highway System, developed by the Dwight D. Eisenhower administration, the two-lane highway was incorporated into the new highway which ran from Detroit to the Mackinac Bridge. are 73.5 feet wide and either eight feet or 12 feet long. There will be about 27,000 miles of eighth-inch wire 1987a nice Christmas present, four years after the bridge was to be are installed. habitat. Unfortunately, shipping increased fourfold in the early 1960s; and each time the drawbridge opened, cars would back up for miles. All rights reserved. through downtown via US-10 and US-23. two-lane highway bypass on the east side of the City of Saginaw completed 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. The Zilwaukee Bridge was conceived as a way around I-75's drawbridge, called a bascule bridge, over the Saginaw River. of an epoxy resin makes the repaired area stronger than the concrete was However, due to the accident and its subsequent repair work, construction to four hours in duration and often up to 30 miles in length. Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement updated 7/1/2022). it was issued prior to the completion of the bridge and is worded accordingly. Information. It was only 150 feet wide and several ships ended up clipping the bridge, causing damage and even more traffic issues. The ships captain suffered minor injuries. and constructed is a post-tensioned, segmental, box girder bridge and work The setback took two years and $6 million more unbudgeted dollars. more than six times as much as a fully-loaded standard 18-wheel, 40-ton traffic. For the first three years, everything went according to plan, and all of the piers were constructed on schedule. can be pulled from either end. Crank up the tunes. highway running from Detroit to the Mackinac Bridge. The Department followed rigid procedures for quality control during the Michigan Highways > In Depth: The Zilwaukee Bridge, Page Contents: History The Replacement & Accident Ongoing Maintenance Zilwaukee When two adjacent In May of 1987, the Michigan As an aid in joining each precast piece to its mate, high-strength epoxy 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. The state spent $120 million to build the bridge but design problems and. in the first place. Flint Journal file photoTravelers go on the Zilwaukee Bridge during lunchtime in 1999. The Zilwaukee Bridge is a massive segmental concrete bridge that carries the I-75 over the Saginaw River in Michigan. 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. It stands on its own steel legs Do you know anyspectacular road?Click here to send us all the info, and we'll publish it! Segmental bridges are in two general categories: precase and cast-in-place. of concrete was installed on the bridge and the northbound lanes of the I-75/US-23 freeway The hauler, based in Zilwaukee, transports auto parts and agriculture products. 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. back end and drives directly off. construction accident halted all work in August 1982. After eight years of construction, the northbound lanes of the Zilwaukee Bridge were opened Dec. 23, 1987. http://media.mlive.com/saginawnews_impact/photo/zilwaukee-bridge-bbec235072ccfec4.jpg. Check back here for updates. They ride electric cars inside to inspect and do repairs. Zilwaukee Bridge: From the Beginning, Michigan (Please remember while reading the report, Many more steel tendons are stressed at this time to make the two spans Bridge "bearings" are pads under the bridge deck that transfer loads to the piers while allowing for some movement. the span for more than a year. to the bridge and held in place while the epoxy is applied and the cables This was (AP Photo/Michael Hollenbeck/The Saginaw News. Back to: Section 2: Background Kahn also expressed concern about future lane closures on the bridge. The Zilwaukee Bridge wasnt the only option pitched when thinking about how to stop the traffic jams. The mighty Mackinac Bridge is Michigans signature bridge, with its own rich history. On August 28, 1982, temporary compression blocks began to crush while a concrete segment was being transported, causing a 300-foot-long section of the bridge deck to sag five feet on one end, and rise three-and-a-half feet on the other end. Lin International (TYLI) to perform construction engineering services. The two new segments then are stressed to the The Zilwaukee Bridge is a high-level bridge carrying I-75 (and U.S. 23) over the Saginaw River at Zilwaukee. inch in diameter. The southbound lanes opened in the fall of 1988, at which point the old bascule bridge was officially closed. is spread on both matching faces before they are brought together. These joints have to be kept perfectly immobile during construction, so they are filled with temporary blocks held in place with steel tendons. of high-strength reinforced concrete segments held together by thousands were routed over the bridge for the first time on Wednesday, December 23, The four-lane, bascule bridge (or drawbridge) opened in 1960. fixed to the opposite end. It took several hours for tugs to move the ship back into Saginaw Bay. accident, what caused it and what was done to remedy the situation can Another important step is taken to protect steel cables from corrosion. The bid for the steel bridge totaled $86.2 million. The concrete segments were built nearby, at a facility constructed for the project. Language links are at the top of the page across from the article title causing and. Turn into Milwaukee facility constructed for the steel bridge totaled $ 86.2.! Take roughly $ 1 billion to replace it prior to the bridge, which turns 30 this.... 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