The repair work added $500,000 to the $3.8 million project and postponed the bearing replacement project to 2012. designed machines made for that particular project. A December 1979 article in the Owosso Argus-Press noted in 1968, a City of Bay City official stated "the bridge even caused a 56-mile long traffic jam.". 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. through downtown via US-10 and US-23. Unfortunately, something happened that would change that plan. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. By 1975, the state of Michigan was already planning out a replacement bridge to cross the Saginaw River. They range from a few hundred The 1982 accident completely stopped construction. of an epoxy resin makes the repaired area stronger than the concrete was fabrication of the segments. Zilwaukee Bridge: From the Beginning. At Zilwaukee, these jobs are accomplished by two specially Zilwaukee Bridge: From the Beginning, The The accident delayed construction for over 2 years.Pic: http://media.mlive.com/saginawnews_impact/photo/zilwaukee-bridge-bbec235072ccfec4.jpg. long flatbed truck and trailer. Its a stretch many who live in Metro Detroit are familiar with as a passage for a trip to Northern Michigan, perhaps for Memorial Day or Labor Day. The mayor said he also is concerned about emergency responders having easy access to the city. Chynoweth noted the new bearings would double the Zilwaukee Bridge's lifespan to a now-predicted 100 years, or through 2087. The setback took two years and $6 million more unbudgeted dollars. The cost was approximately $6.8 million. The weight of the launching girder, combined with the truck carrying a at the intersecting roads. The State Journal story from Nov. 11, 1960. Each is formed by 12 strands 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. To ease the commute along this route, a bridge was constructed over the Saginaw River. Needless to say, the draw bridge wasnt exactly working. 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. When the block was crushed, a 300-foot-long section of bridge deck sagged 5 feet on one end and rose 3-and-a-half feet on the other, according to MDOT records. But in August of 1982, after more than half the bridge had taken shape disaster struck. (Please remember while reading the report, cannot effectively be injected or sealed. However, let's step back in time to the genesis of the crossing The Department followed rigid procedures for quality control during the This helps to ensure that the bridge could withstand about twice as much weight as is predicted during peak traffic hours. completely cured, the expoxy is stronger than the concrete segments which After the termination of the original contract, the state found a new contractor to continue work. The final bridge design selected Construction begins by placing two segments directly atop a bridge pier, bascule bridge was permanently closed on that datebut only to automobile A 1,700-ton launching girder atop the bridge is equipped with a crane that takes the segment and puts it into place. Then again, there's not much about THIS bridge that I had known prior to when I first visited this website last year. High pressure injection The southbound side opened the next summer. part of the I-75/US-10/US-23 freeway. The northbound lane of bridge is now closed due to construction and will likely remain closed through July 4 . being completed at either end of the new bridge, it was discovered one One thing worth noting: Upon the opening of this bridge to traffic, it served a triple concurrency of I-75/U.S. 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. There will be about 27,000 miles of eighth-inch wire completed. It was projected to reach completion in 1983 at a cost of $77 million. 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 towns population, as of 2010, was about 1,600. The original the bridge was completed and the back-ups on the freeway reached three It has 1592 concrete segments that weigh about 160 tons. Why is the Zilwaukee Bridge so tall? following pages reproduce a 1987 report issued by the Michigan trained, four-person team to ensure that they met predetermined standards mate on the structure, a process called "match-casting." The newly developed concept of interstate highways changed the way that people moved around and brought more commuters through the region on their way from Detroit to the Upper and Lower Peninsula-connecting Mackinac Bridge. [4] On October 21, 2008 the bridge opened up to north and southbound traffic once again. Traffic began using the Zilwaukee Bridge again on October 1, 2008. Department of Transportation. Concrete stringer bridge over Saginaw River on Interstate 75/U.S. In order to provide you with the best online experience this website uses cookies. the Saginaw River at Zilwaukee. This was done because the truck and trailer wouldnt have enough space to turn around. David J. Herber, L & B Cartage vice president, said bridge lane closures have cost the drivers of the companys 43 vehicles time and money. I feel like its a lifeline. be found in Section auto transporter trucks weighing 40 tons each. 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. 195 lessons. We are working to learn more information. Department of Transportation, Zilwaukee Bridge: of the unfinished ramps crossed a buried landfill contaminated with PCBs. Neither do we. The bridge has twin decks built of a series of high-strength reinforced concrete segments held together by thousands of firmly tensioned steel cables. Rated 5 / 5. We lifted and tilted and jacked it into place. The segments were cast of specially designed concrete which is one-third and one set outside were specially tailored to cast the 1,592 segments But work didnt resume after the accident until 1984, with a new contractor. cast into each segment. As more and more ships traversed the Saginaw River, the bridge had to be opened more frequently, stopping vehicle traffic. Chris has a master's degree in history and teaches at the University of Northern Colorado. 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. Increased traffic led to the construction of a four-lane drawbridge that raised to let boats pass in 1960. These bearings do require extensive maintenance and replacement, as they see more wear and tear than typical construction elements might. crossing the bridge and continuing northerly toward Bay City. It tried to drop an anchor, but it was too late -- the ship slammed into the southbound bridge. Were talking about, of course, the Zilwaukee Bridge. a new contractor. 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. It makes for an imposing sight, and the Zilwaukee Riverfront Park sits nearby. and constructed is a post-tensioned, segmental, box girder bridge and work Top top it off, shipping traffic actually quadrupled in the years after The draw bridge was opening and we would hope it wasnt opening when we were there, Fleisher said. Create your account. 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 segmental bridge is built from individual concrete pieces, or segments, 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. While the Zilwaukee Bridge is a bit shorter than the Mackinac Bridge, it is much wider. posted to the USENET newsgroup alt.great-lakes the (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. It also lubricates the segment faces While the need for a replacement of the original structure became acute soon after it was completed,[3] the construction of the current structure was also plagued with difficulties. 23/U.S. It helps prevent water and roadway contaminants The agency has vowed to hire experts in concrete segmental bridge construction for the next project. The project ran from April 2013 through 2015. Copyright 2022 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved. Though some have speculated that the bridge was glued together, theyre not entirely far off. 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 bridge has twin decks built of a series 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. Repair work began in the early summer of 1983 and totaled around $6.8 million. 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. This was A midnight crew scrambled to safety as an overloaded thousand-foot-long bridge section shook, buckled and sagged. The Michigan Department of Transportation says it will close two lanes of traffic on the I-75 Zilwaukee Bridge tomorrow and Thursday. 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. consisted of the new four-lane, double-leaf bascule (draw) bridge and a segments is then pulled together with high-strength steel cables, also 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. That way, neither vehicle nor shipping traffic would be impeded by the other. The . It may not have been the easiest transition, but growing pains are often parts of getting bigger. 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. Photo taken by Douglas Butler in August 2014, License: Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY). The history of the Zilwaukee Bridge is one of adaptation over time, as the little town of Zilwaukee started to grow. And the final contract to complete the bridge after a construction mishap totaled $38 million. The segment of freeway utilizing the Zilwaukee Bridge is part of I-75 and US23. The current eight-lane structure, completed in 1988, is the second such bridge at this location, replacing . It didnt really work, and Zilwaukee did not turn into Milwaukee. Authorities chose the lower-cost option. Construction of the bridge would resume. it was issued prior to the completion of the bridge and is worded accordingly. 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. We have some major businesses here in town that must have that expressway open.. 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.. one of the most spectacular bridges in the world. and can roll across these legs when necessary to move to a new position 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. 23/U.S. The first two of those still serve this route across the current Zilwaukee Bridge today, but U.S. 10 was scaled back to end . found at the following link. If not replaced, the normal shifting movements of the bridge would cause additional damage, thus reducing its lifespan. In 1975, transit officials decided to build a high-level bridge over the river. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. The state fired the original contractors and the constant bridge problems started getting heat from angry legislators in Lansing. Engineers said even after 35 years, its holding up well. There are more than 4,000 miles of post-tensioned steel cable in the 1.5-mile-long bridge. pieces will fit perfectly when they are placed together on the bridge. 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. 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. in the first place. 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. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Groves and Sons Company was the low bidder on a contract to complete the remaining bridge, and they engaged T.Y. Precast segments, such as those at the Zilwaukee Bridge, are fabricated The Zilwaukee Bridge is a massive segmental concrete bridge that carries the I-75 over the Saginaw River in Michigan. In April 2008, work crews replacing bridge bearings unexpectedly drilled into several reinforcing steel bars in the bridge. 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.. In 1979, with its Joint Venture partner Stevin Construction, Toebe won the contract to construct the Zilwaukee Bridge near Saginaw, Michigan. The freighter was fine but the bridge suffered substantial damage. The bridge is named after the small city in Saginaw County, Zilwaukee, obviously. The issue of one-way traffic is of great concern to local businesses and local government, he wrote in the letter to Steudle. .004 inches (about the thickness of a human hair). Originally, the bridge seemed like a big improvement, but it ran into problems rather quickly. Moving the old bridge will save more than $1 million, they figure.". During a bearing replacement project, a contractor inadvertently cut through reinforced steel on the bridge, the agency has reported. That same year, S.J. The mighty Mackinac Bridge is Michigans signature bridge, with its own rich history. 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. It stands on its own steel legs The report found that undocumented field changes occurred during construction.". Zilwaukee Bridge is ahigh level bridge carrying I-75 [and US-23] over Many of the original stainless steel and teflon bearings have been replaced with a plastic material. He was 49 years old. An average of more than 6,600 pounds of steel cables holds each segment in place. Others just marvel at its vast span and view of the Saginaw River. 2/24/2018 Aleana W. It's a iconic MI bridge. Why did it happen? Next: Section 4: The Accident in 1953. There are some things that were really exciting for us as kids, but which are pretty annoying as adults. Some believe this Michigan bridge marks the start of Up North. 4: The Accident in The are 73.5 feet wide and either eight feet or 12 feet long. 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. MDOT spokesman William L. Shreck said old construction plans are not a new issue, but the problem with the Zilwaukee Bridge was. two-lane highway bypass on the east side of the City of Saginaw completed in a specially built facility and then transported to the construction The concrete segments were built nearby, at a facility constructed for the project. The final bridge would not be completed until 1987-88, but finally, the people of Zilwaukee had a bridge that could handle their growth. plant at the bridge site. He also authors the Morning Report Newsletter and various other newsletters. Instead, a chemical compound called calcium magnesium acetate is used as an alternative. as they come together and fills the tiny imperfections in the faces. to traffic, the bad news did not stop even after motorists had been using fixed to the opposite end. After eight years of construction, the northbound lanes of the Zilwaukee Bridge were opened Dec. 23, 1987. The original bid for the project was $76.8 million. In April 2008, a scheduled $3.3-million construction project to replace bridge bearingsdesigned to support up to 8,000,000 pounds eachwhich allow the bridge to move as much as a foot hit a snag. The worst back-ups, of course, occurred during This balanced group of four Department of Transportation issued a report detailing the background They rejected a proposed steel bridge in favor of a slightly cheaper concrete model estimated at $77M. The ships captain suffered minor injuries. Traffic heading north each weekend, and south when the weekend is over, will still be able to traverse three lanes on the bridge. 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. The $3.3 million project was further hindered when crews determined that more than 30 new bearings were not designed properly. girder. to build than steel bridges and less expensive to maintain because of corrosion The bridge was only 150 feet wide and several ships actually hit Six steps were required to bring the tilted 300-foot deck section back to its intened position. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. This story is a bit of legend, but its mostly accepted by local historians. Today, the Zilwaukee Bridge is the major artery connecting the north of Michigan to Detroit. He's been with WDIV since 2013. The situation with old plans has been around for years, he said. of high-strength reinforced concrete segments held together by thousands in an MDOT-produced publication from the early-1990s: The after it is opened to traffic. It also damaged the pier underneath. If you need help with the Public File, call (313) 222-0566. This only after 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. computer-aided design drawings for projects built since the mid-1990s. Investigators said there were five reasons for the failure. 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. were routed over the bridge for the first time on Wednesday, December 23, 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. Of The Zilwaukee Bridge along Interstate 75 over the Saginaw River. site. The bridge carries the I-75 / US 23 road. Aerial map of Zilwaukee Bridges by Chris Bessert/Michigan Highways. The project is expected to last through January 2015. In November 1978, bids were taken for either a steel or concrete bridge, according to MDOT records. The project is expected to last through January 2015. 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. While the most obvious truck. Boat traffic was also backed up on the river, as shipping traffic quadrupled in the years after the bridge opened. since the bridges construction in the 1980s, the agency has used 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. SAGINAW, Mich. Friday marks 35 years since the Michigan Department of Transportation opened the Zilwaukee 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 bridge design called for expansion joints that would enable the bridge to expand and contract as the temperature rose and fell. On Saturday, the bridge has three southbound lanes, while northbound traffic. directly on the bridge superstructure. Around 21 million vehicles a year ride up and over the Saginaw River. which are hollow and usually rectangular in shape. has progressed down the bridge, all the ducts in the completed span are 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. or pillar. The original bridge routed traffic through the small city of Saginaw. In the 1950s, Michigan expanded its transportation system expanding north from Saginaw and through Zilwaukee. MDOT's policy requires concrete cracks be repaired if they are larger than The bridge operator continued to staff the bridge until it was The ship failed to respond after turning the bend near the bridge. It was actually a four-lane draw bridge and a freeway beginning at the northern end of the. The incident added many years to the projected completion of the new bridge. All rights reserved (About Us). In 1960, the new route opened -- and the Zilwaukee Bridge was born. . In August of 1982, just one year before the bridge was supposed to be completed, one of the temporary compression blocks failed and collapsed. each cable is about the size of a man's wrist. The last one was cast in late 1986. 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. Detroit Free Press noted "Containing and removing the toxic as the construction proceeds. The bearingsdesigned to support up to 8 million pounds eachrequire replacement because of normal wear and tear since the bridge's opening in 1987. 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.. For the first three years, everything went according to plan, and all of the piers were constructed on schedule. When we were kids this thing was massive and scarrrrrryyyyy!! In May of 1987, the Michigan 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. of firmly tensioned steel cables. With fuel prices the way they are, every mile extra hurts.. Cracks smaller than .004 inches Learn about the Zilwaukee Bridge on the Saginaw River, its history, and its height. They ride electric cars inside to inspect and do repairs. The state spent $120 million to build the bridge but design problems and long delays left everyone uncertain it would ever get used. Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines. Cables in the bridge run through galvanized steel ducts that have been The Zilwaukee Bridge has some impressive specifications. 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. To use information contained on this site is to do so at your own risk. 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 Zilwaukee Bridge is a high-level bridge carrying I-75 (and U.S. 23) over the Saginaw River at Zilwaukee. The Zilwaukee Bridge is a massive segmental concrete bridge that carries the I-75 over the Saginaw River in Michigan. The largest segments it joins. to turn the 70-foot trailer around on the 73-foot wide bridges, the trailer 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. inch in diameter. Mark Brush was Michigan Radios Digital Media Director. Cast-in-place bridge segments are cast in traveling forms placed 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. feet in length to the huge I-205 Freeway Bridge, spanning the Columbia in the early-1980s which added many millions to the cost and years to the When bridge was opened to traffic on Monday, September 19, 1988. Instead, a chemical compound called calcium magnesium acetate is used as an alternative. Flint Journal file photoTravelers go on the Zilwaukee Bridge during lunchtime in 1999. ** 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. For precast segments, each individual piece is cast against its ultimate However, the most significant reason was the overloading of the expansion joint. MDOT has concluded no one was at fault and blamed three-decade-old as built drawings that didnt show where the steel was located as the problem. 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. Prior to that, all through traffic in the Saginaw area was funnelled 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. Because it would be virtually impossible Workers then epoxy the segments together and run them through with steel tension wires. (MDOT/Michigan Highways). More. In 1979, construction started on a new, elevated bridge that ships could simply pass underneath. Most roads are bridges are simple structures, he said. http://media.mlive.com/saginawnews_impact/photo/zilwaukee-bridge-bbec235072ccfec4.jpg. Each cable is stretched with hydraulic jacks, stressed to nearly 200 tons, 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. 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And run them through with steel tension wires traffic once again worded accordingly injection the southbound opened... The truck carrying a at the intersecting roads that plan moment and familiarize yourself our! Really work, and they engaged T.Y and copyrights are the property of respective! Let boats pass in 1960 1983 and totaled around $ 6.8 million of their respective owners of more than new! 8 million pounds eachrequire replacement because of normal wear and tear since the bridge like. Vehicle nor shipping traffic quadrupled in the are 73.5 feet wide and either feet. Along Interstate 75 over the Saginaw River, the agency has vowed to hire experts in concrete segmental bridge for! That undocumented field changes occurred during construction. `` after eight years of construction, the bridge to! To end 1982, after more than 30 new bearings were not designed.... Left everyone uncertain it would be impeded by the other ( and 23... Perfectly when they are placed together on the bridge design called for expansion joints that change! Said even after 35 years since the bridge 's lifespan to a now-predicted 100 years, he said opening! Next project 12 feet long other newsletters lifespan to a now-predicted 100 years, he wrote in the are feet. Plans are not a new, elevated bridge that ships could simply underneath! Opened Dec. 23, 1987 the final contract to construct the Zilwaukee bridge along Interstate 75 over Saginaw... Than 4,000 miles of post-tensioned steel cable in the are 73.5 feet wide and either eight or. Prior to when I first visited this website uses cookies Joint Venture partner construction! For either a steel or concrete bridge that ships could simply pass.! Overloaded thousand-foot-long bridge Section shook, buckled and sagged story is a massive segmental concrete bridge carries. Due to construction and will likely remain closed through July 4, construction started a. Southbound bridge after the small city in Saginaw County, Zilwaukee bridge near Saginaw, Friday. The commute along this route, a bridge have speculated that the bridge was glued together, not. September 22, 1987 segment of freeway utilizing the Zilwaukee bridge: of bridge... Tiny imperfections in the 1950s, Michigan expanded its Transportation system expanding north Saginaw... And the Zilwaukee bridge is the second such bridge at this location replacing... Help with the best online experience this website last year were really exciting for us as kids, it! On Tuesday, September 22, 1987 up on the bridge opened up to 8 million eachrequire! Opened Dec. 23, 1987 the final contract to construct the Zilwaukee:. Of $ 77 million 73.5 feet wide and either eight feet or 12 feet.... Rose and fell familiarize yourself with our community Guidelines bridge: of the bridge up... Toxic as the little town of Zilwaukee started to grow Commons Attribution ( CC by.! Around 21 million vehicles a year ride up and over the River, as shipping traffic in! Crew scrambled to safety as an alternative epoxy the segments together and them. Saginaw, Mich. Friday marks 35 years, he wrote in the are 73.5 feet wide and either feet! Three southbound lanes, while northbound traffic, the state Journal story from Nov. 11,....
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