The This is the first time it has ever been an issue.. Zilwaukee Bridge - Old. of the Zilwaukee Bridge, the details on the accident and the attendant Instead, a chemical compound called calcium magnesium acetate is used as an alternative. Yes, the Zilwaukee Bridge of 1960 was a drawbridge. It also lubricates the segment faces Around the time of opening, the Zilwaukee Bridge saw roughly 11.3 million vehicles cross per year, according to MDOT. The history of the Zilwaukee Bridge is one of adaptation over time, as the little town of Zilwaukee started to grow. A 1,700-ton launching girder atop the bridge is equipped with a crane that takes the segment and puts it into place. 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. concrete, forming another layer of protection for the steel cables. The segmental bridge is built from individual concrete pieces, or segments, The 1982 accident completely stopped construction. Each segment is manufactured with 10,000 pounds of reinforcing steel inside. There will be about 27,000 miles of eighth-inch wire in the completed 1.5-mile-long bridge. Copyright 2023 ClickOnDetroit.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. of the new bridge as segments are erected one against another and are post-tensioned 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. My concern at this time is to make certain this type of construction accident does not occur again, Kahn wrote in a Wednesday letter to MDOT Director Kirk T. Steudle. It is also exceptionally tall to allow shipping to pass beneath the bridge. While that may not sound like a lot, it's a big deal when talking about tons and tons of concrete and steel. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. I say we go back to these days and watch the boats go by: 91.7 Ann Arbor/Detroit 104.1 Grand Rapids We froze the ground below the pier, we abandoned the footing in place because the footing was completely destroyed. 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. 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 ships captain suffered minor injuries. We lifted and tilted and jacked it into place. Construction began in 1979 with an expected completion date three years later, but the bridge was not available for traffic for nine years. 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 Zilwaukee Bridge is a high-level bridge carrying I-75 (and U.S. 23) over the Saginaw River at Zilwaukee. in the first place. One thing worth noting: Upon the opening of this bridge to traffic, it served a triple concurrency of I-75/U.S. as the construction proceeds. cast into each segment. Michigan Highways > In Depth: The Zilwaukee Bridge, Page Contents: History The Replacement & Accident Ongoing Maintenance Zilwaukee The state spent $120 million to build the bridge but design problems and. Construction on the new Zilwaukee Bridge began in 1979. and another is attached to the opposite side. 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. highway running from Detroit to the Mackinac Bridge. It has 1592 concrete segments that weigh about 160 tons. and one set outside were specially tailored to cast the 1,592 segments The origin of today's Zilwaukee Bridge can be traced back to the original The two new segments then are stressed to the Department of Transportation in response to public concerns about 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. The Zilwaukee Bridge is a box-and-girder concrete segmental bridge that crosses the Saginaw River in Michigan. It assures thatthe Unfortunately, that wasn't the reality. Work began on the southbound span first during 2013 and then transitioned over to the northbound bridge during 2014. Construction crews began work on a major renovation project on the Zilwaukee Bridge this week. [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 accident delayed construction for over 2 years.Pic: http://media.mlive.com/saginawnews_impact/photo/zilwaukee-bridge-bbec235072ccfec4.jpg. The website is for information purposes only and we assume no liability for decisions made as a result of the information provided here. While no Saginaw River crossing seems to have been Sometimes, the back-ups exceeded 30 miles and several hours in length. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. An epoxy stronger than concrete was used between segments. site. According to a story In an August 22, 1989 article, The 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. 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. Cracks smaller than .004 inches time it opened for river traffic. TIL of Zilwaukee, a town in northern Michigan. Engineers said even after 35 years, its holding up well. 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. However, construction of the new segmental concrete bridge ran into trouble in 1982 when an expansion joint was overloaded, crushing the temporary expansion block. Sunshine Skyway Bridge at Tampa, Fla., opened in 1987. The original bid for the project was $76.8 million. of the unfinished ramps crossed a buried landfill contaminated with PCBs. The compound gets rid of the ice without any worry of corrosion to the bridge. Each cable is stretched with hydraulic jacks, stressed to nearly 200 tons, The cause, according to Michigan Highways, was construction loads at that location were too heavy. If not replaced, the normal shifting movements of the bridge would cause additional damage, thus reducing its lifespan. However, construction ground to a halt in 1982 when a significant accident paralyzed work. The original bid for the project was $76.8 million. Saturday, August 20th 2022 Crashes impacting NB and SB 75 on the Zilwaukee Bridge. 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. It was projected to reach completion in 1983 at a cost of $77 million. and reconstructing the newly-completed I-675 loop After the cleanup and investigations and hiring of new contractors, work didn't resume until late 1984. called tendons, to form a solid unit. Boat traffic was also backed up on the river, as shipping traffic quadrupled in the years after the bridge opened. 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. are installed. Or are you better off taking a different route? text here is reproduced word-for-word from the original report and Because it would be virtually impossible If you need help with the Public File, call (313) 222-0566. 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. The bid for the steel bridge totaled $86.2 million. 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. And the final contract to complete the bridge after a construction mishap totaled $38 million. It was thought that this would accommodate both boat and vehicle traffic. Before she joined the team in 2018 she worked at WILX in Lansing as a digital producer. In August of 1982, just one year before the bridge was supposed to be completed, one of the temporary compression blocks failed and collapsed. 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. I believe it was demolished in 1989. Bridge Construction Engineering. a major concern with the public at the time. The final bridge design selected The Zilwaukee Bridge wasnt the only option pitched when thinking about how to stop the traffic jams. 10. In April 2008, work crews replacing bridge bearings unexpectedly drilled into several reinforcing steel bars in the 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. 13. copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. 23 Location Zilwaukee, Saginaw County, Michigan Status Open to traffic History Built 1987 Design Concrete stringer Dimensions (1.5 mi.) 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. 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. and can roll across these legs when necessary to move to a new position That same year, S.J. two-lane highway bypass on the east side of the City of Saginaw completed This technology has gained rapid acceptance and has spread to other countries. The agency has vowed to hire experts in concrete segmental bridge construction for the next project. 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. The bridge was only 150 feet wide and several ships actually hit The The Saginaw News article also details an instance where Michigan State Police raised the bridge to stop a fleeing criminal on I-75. Learn about the Zilwaukee Bridge on the Saginaw River, its history, and its height. Only one side of the bridge is open at a time, and traffic is shifted on Tuesday and Saturday, based on peak times. in 1953. The entire segment instantly sank five feet lower than the section they were attempting to attach it to. 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. This drawbridge was meant to ease congestion, but made it worse as both vehicle and shipping traffic drastically increased. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. spans are complete, the last segment is cast in place to join the spans. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. northeast of the city. The Zilwaukee Bridge is a.high level bridge carrying I-75 [and US-23] over the Saginaw River at Zilwaukee. Much more on the 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. Cables in the bridge run through galvanized steel ducts that have been in an MDOT-produced publication from the early-1990s: The You are still completely responsible for your decisions, your actions, and your safety. primary purpose of the epoxy is to act as an environmental seal of the Then again, there's not much about THIS bridge that I had known prior to when I first visited this website last year. While the bridge has performed very well in the years since it has opened To use information contained on this site is to do so at your own risk. after it is opened to traffic. It also damaged the pier underneath. the span for more than a year. Its purpose, though, was largely as a seal to keep out water and roadway contaminants. "These hand-written plans, drafted around 1980, were used to build the original bridge. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. The freighter was fine but the bridge suffered substantial damage. In the 1980's, Toebe completed a number of large . construction in the United States and Canada. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. The state fired the original contractors and the constant bridge problems started getting heat from angry legislators in Lansing. added to one end of the completed group, and then a balancing segment is However, the most significant reason was the overloading of the expansion joint. Zilwaukee Bridge: From the Beginning, The On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. ), The All rights reserved (About Us). A pier footing cracked, presumably due to resulting stress. There are more than 4,000 miles of post-tensioned steel cable in the 1.5-mile-long bridge. It makes for an imposing sight, and the Zilwaukee Riverfront Park sits nearby. to traffic, the bad news did not stop even after motorists had been using The last one was cast in late 1986. About 15 years after it opened, plans to replace it with a high-level bridge would start gaining steam, according to Michigan Highways. subjected every day to far heavier weights than it will ever experience Of But in the 1980s, the Zilwaukee Bridge controversially turned into Michigans most expensive. The new bearings should last anywhere from 25 to 50 years, or possibly even longer, he said. Construction crews began work on a major renovation project on the Zilwaukee Bridge this week. In fact, in 1979, the traffic jam was a whopping 56 miles long. The current bridge is not the first Zilwaukee River crossing. If you need help with the Public File, call (313) 222-0566. The segments are erected by a massive piece of machinery called a launching 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. 23/U.S. In 1979, construction on the elevated Zilwaukee Bridge, which accommodates both boat and vehicle traffic, began. Needless to say, the draw bridge wasnt exactly working. Periodically flooded roads around the world. Now, the bridge is very busy. onto the bridge, unhooks from the front end of the trailer, hooks to the In the early-1950s, the Michigan State Highway Department constructed a He succumbed to a year-long battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer, in March 2018. of firmly tensioned steel cables. 120 and 160 tons. 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. mate on the structure, a process called "match-casting." Were talking about, of course, the Zilwaukee Bridge. The Zilwaukee Bridge along Interstate 75 over the Saginaw River. It was opened in 1988 and is 8,000 feet (2440 m) long and 125 feet (38 m) at its highest point. The bearingsdesigned to support up to 8 million pounds eachrequire replacement because of normal wear and tear since the bridge's opening in 1987. It was only 150 feet wide and several ships ended up clipping the bridge, causing damage and even more traffic issues. Do you know anyspectacular road?Click here to send us all the info, and we'll publish it! The tilting also damaged the pier footing beneath it. 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. This helps to ensure that the bridge could withstand about twice as much weight as is predicted during peak traffic hours. Rated 5 / 5. Segments At Zilwaukee, these jobs are accomplished by two specially cannot effectively be injected or sealed. 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. A contingent of lawmakers planned to tour the bridge today after a Saginaw News investigation sparked inquiries about the agencys investigation into the mishap. 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. 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