each cable is about the size of a man's wrist. The Zilwaukee Bridge is a.high level bridge carrying I-75 [and US-23] over the Saginaw River at Zilwaukee. The original bid for the project was $76.8 million. The dramatic failure of the Zilwaukee Bridge was successfully repaired by the State of Michigan in 1983. SAGINAW, Mich. Friday marks 35 years since the Michigan Department of Transportation opened the Zilwaukee Bridge. Department of Transportation issued a report detailing the background One place where this really became an issue was in the town of Zilwaukee, Michigan in the US. The Zilwaukee Bridge is a high-level, segmental concrete bridge spanning the Saginaw River in the U.S. state of Michigan. (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. Each cable is stretched with hydraulic jacks, stressed to nearly 200 tons, 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. two-lane highway bypass on the east side of the City of Saginaw completed Support MLive.com. Copyright 2023 ClickOnDetroit.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. Thanks to the new bridge, it is easy to get over the Saginaw. freeway beginning at the northern end of the 1953 bypass (at present-day M-13), Read about the Zilwaukee Bridge collapse in 1982 and its reconstruction. The worst back-ups, of course, occurred during to the bridge and held in place while the epoxy is applied and the cables In 2008, a $3.3 million construction project to replace bridge bearings hit a snag. Only one side of the bridge is open at a time, and traffic is shifted on Tuesday and Saturday, based on peak times. Precast segments, such as those at the Zilwaukee Bridge, are fabricated A three-week project turned into six months, and crews ended up discovering that more than 30 of the new bearings werent properly designed and would not fit. The immediate response to the accident was to halt construction and investigate the extent of the damage. Around 21 million vehicles a year ride up and over the Saginaw River. The Zilwaukee Bridge along Interstate 75 over the Saginaw River. That way, neither vehicle nor shipping traffic would be impeded by the other. 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. The total launching girder apparatus weighs In 1960, the new route opened -- and the Zilwaukee Bridge was born. All rights reserved (About Us). 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. While the bridge has performed very well in the years since it has opened Unfortunately, something happened that would change that plan. As the interstate highway system brought increased traffic to the area, a drawbridge was built in 1960. joint between the segments. While the most obvious Workers then epoxy the segments together and run them through with steel tension wires. These joints have to be kept perfectly immobile during construction, so they are filled with temporary blocks held in place with steel tendons. 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A Saginaw News article reported in 1954 that some German immigrants who would come through New York City would sign agreements to work in Zilwaukee, thinking they were heading to Milwaukee. The segments are joined 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 original completion date for the Zilwaukee Bridge was November 1983. concrete, forming another layer of protection for the steel cables. By the end of the next year, the original 1953 US-23 bypass posted to the USENET newsgroup alt.great-lakes the While the remaining ramp connections were course, for many Michiganders, the Zilwaukee Bridge evokes a response harkening . inch in diameter. We had to wait in line. Rod Meloni is an Emmy Award-winning Business Editor on Local 4 News and a Certified Financial Planner Professional. concerns and painting costs with steel bridges. pieces will fit perfectly when they are placed together on the bridge. Traffic began using the Zilwaukee Bridge again on October 1, 2008. Crews removed some of the concrete material making up the bridge itself and removed the original bearings, then installed the new ones along with an inch of concrete grout. This is the first time it has ever been an issue.. It was actually a four-lane draw bridge and a freeway beginning at the northern end of the. At Zilwaukee, each cable is about the size of a man's wrist. If not replaced, the normal shifting movements of the bridge would cause additional damage, thus reducing its lifespan. Create an account to start this course today. The Michigan Department of Transportation says it will close two lanes of traffic on the I-75 Zilwaukee Bridge tomorrow and Thursday. As noted above, when the bridge was approximately half-complete, a major Were talking about, of course, the Zilwaukee Bridge. called tendons, to form a solid unit. The setback took two years and $6 million more unbudgeted dollars. is spread on both matching faces before they are brought together. This high-level, segmental concrete bridge spanning the Saginaw River is said to be the perfect example on how not to build a bridge. Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines. Zilwaukee Bridge. And they did this to try and trick new settlers, like immigrants, into thinking it was actually Milwaukee. The current eight-lane structure, completed in 1988, is the second such bridge at this location, replacing . The . .004 inches (about the thickness of a human hair). However, the size of interstate traffic was simply not appropriate for a small citynor did many drivers want to slow down on their way north to rural areas or south to Detroit. Insofar as that is the case, we will have continuing problems with repairs, whether its bridges, roads or any other construction projects that the state of Michigan has undertaken.. Work started in 1979 and was supposed to finish in 1983. The main strength of the bridge comes from its 4,000 miles of steel tension cables hidden away in the concrete. When two adjacent I believe it was demolished in 1989. The freighter was fine but the bridge suffered substantial damage. 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. Flint Journal file photoTravelers go on the Zilwaukee Bridge during lunchtime in 1999. The new contractor developed a method of heating the concrete to allow construction during the winter. construction in the United States and Canada. 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. completion. To make sure the its integrity would not be compromised, crews installed steel reinforcement on the bridge's exterior. There has been a Saginaw bridge for nearly 70 years. Published: Jan. 16, 2023 at 8:39 AM PST. [Image: The bridge takes shape. Needless to say, the draw bridge wasnt exactly working. 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. It is also exceptionally tall to allow shipping to pass beneath 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.. The cast into each segment. Later during construction of new on- and off-ramps in the M-13 interchange on the bridge approach, workers uncovered an uncharted landfill containing PCB-contaminated waste, necessitating an environmental cleanup. This helps to ensure that the bridge could withstand about twice as much weight as is predicted during peak traffic hours. At its peak, the bridge is 125 feet above water level. In an August 22, 1989 article, The And it wasnt just the cars that suffered. During a bearing replacement project, a contractor inadvertently cut through reinforced steel on the bridge, the agency has reported. long flatbed truck and trailer. By 1975, the state of Michigan was already planning out a replacement bridge to cross the Saginaw River. portion of the new route in the Saginaw area was opened to traffic. Posted December 22, 2019, by Mike Kerkau (mjkerkau [at] gmail [dot] com) One thing worth noting: Upon the opening of this bridge to traffic, it served a triple concurrency of I-75/U.S. Chris has a master's degree in history and teaches at the University of Northern Colorado. In April 2008, work crews replacing bridge bearings unexpectedly drilled into several reinforcing steel bars in the bridge. 1,700 tons. The Zilwaukee Bridge is a high-level bridge carrying I-75 (and U.S. 23) over the Saginaw River at Zilwaukee. 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. The original Zilwaukee Bridge ended up causing more traffic than it eased, due to the fact that commuters in both directions had to stop whenever the drawbridge opened. since the bridges construction in the 1980s, the agency has used 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. site. Repair work began in the early summer of 1983 and totaled around $6.8 million. (MDOT/Michigan Highways). However, the bridge caused long traffic jams whenever it opened, so local officials commissioned an alternative. Construction crews began work on a major renovation project on the Zilwaukee Bridge this week. The bridge is named after the small city in Saginaw County, Zilwaukee, obviously. 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. Each one was closely inspected by a specially Engineers said even after 35 years, its holding up well. Back to: Section 2: Background 2/24/2018 Aleana W. It's a iconic MI bridge. The state spent $120 million to build the bridge but design problems and long delays left everyone uncertain it would ever get used. filled with cement grout under high pressure. Zilwaukee Bridge - Old. which are hollow and usually rectangular in shape. after it is opened to traffic. Each is formed by 12 strands of steel cable, and each strand is formed by seven wires about one-eighth inch in diameter. (Please remember while reading the report, The Zilwaukee Bridge has a mile-long box underneath the entire span so maintenance workers can keep an eye on how its holding up. It also damaged the pier underneath. The best, most concise description of the Zilwaukee Bridge can be found A contingent of lawmakers planned to tour the bridge today after a Saginaw News investigation sparked inquiries about the agencys investigation into the mishap. I feel like its a lifeline. The final bridge design selected the Saginaw River at Zilwaukee. in the completed 1.5-mile-long bridge. Some believe this Michigan bridge marks the start of Up North. Cast-in-place bridge segments are cast in traveling forms placed They weigh between Groves and Sons Company was the low bidder on a contract to complete the remaining bridge, and they engaged T.Y. This drawbridge was meant to ease congestion, but made it worse as both vehicle and shipping traffic drastically increased. back to a major construction accident while bridge was not yet half completed I was not able to get a photograph of the bridge as as. Department of Transportation, Zilwaukee Bridge: You are being asked to avoid the. 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. Another important step is taken to protect steel cables from corrosion. 23/U.S. MDOT Bay City Transportation Service Center Manager Gregg Brunner said The draw bridge was opening and we would hope it wasnt opening when we were there, Fleisher said. the bridge opened, it also caused problems for traffic on the Saginaw River It needs to hold up about another 50 to 60 years considering it could take roughly $1 billion to replace it. You are being asked to avoid the area. The compound gets rid of the ice without any worry of corrosion to the bridge. Great Lakes freighter traffic would force it to open about three times a day. ** 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. 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. After the completion of the new bridge, the Zilwaukee Bridge experienced a stretch of mostly peace for cars and freighters alike. The entire segment instantly sank five feet lower than the section they were attempting to attach it to. Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines. 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. 1987a nice Christmas present, four years after the bridge was to be Well, hold on -- not exactly. to build than steel bridges and less expensive to maintain because of corrosion The southbound lanes opened in the fall of 1988, at which point the old bascule bridge was officially closed. from leaking into the bridge itself. All rights reserved (About Us). concrete segment onto the bridge, is the equivalent of 49 fully-loaded copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. has progressed down the bridge, all the ducts in the completed span are One end of the 300-foot span supported by that pillar sagged five feet, while the other end was lifted 3 feet into the air. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. "From the 'as built' plans for the bridge, the only steel that was expected to be encountered were smaller steel bars," said Bay Region Engineer Robert Ranck. 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.". 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. Michigan Highways > In Depth: The Zilwaukee Bridge: From the Beginning. He also authors the Morning Report Newsletter and various other newsletters. cannot effectively be injected or sealed. Zilwaukee Bridge: From the Beginning, Michigan Our concern is if they shut it down for one year in each way, it could have a major impact, Jolin said. northeast of the city. highway running from Detroit to the Mackinac Bridge. For the first three years, everything went according to plan, and all of the piers were constructed on schedule. Today, there are more than 70 segmental bridges either completed or under 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. Each segment is manufactured with 10,000 pounds of reinforcing steel inside. The segments were cast of specially designed concrete which is one-third The project is expected to last through January 2015. Originally, the Zilwaukee Bridge was to be completed by November 1983. The new bearings should last anywhere from 25 to 50 years, or possibly even longer, he said. A pier footing cracked, presumably due to resulting stress. The device is 940 feet long and can easily bridge across the longest As more and more ships traversed the Saginaw River, the bridge had to be opened more frequently, stopping vehicle traffic. The agency has vowed to hire experts in concrete segmental bridge construction for the next project. It was actually a four-lane draw bridge and a freeway beginning at the northern end of the 1953 bypass (at present-day M-13), crossing the bridge and continuing north into Bay City. There were discussions about abandoning the project completely. 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. 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. Check back here for updates. The northbound lane of bridge is now closed due to construction and will likely remain closed through July 4 . 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. through downtown as the through route. 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 important artery allows traffic to move through the area without entering downtown Saginaw. are 73.5 feet wide and either eight feet or 12 feet long. Five sets of casting forms inside the building [4] On October 21, 2008 the bridge opened up to north and southbound traffic once again. We lifted and tilted and jacked it into place. added. The hauler, based in Zilwaukee, transports auto parts and agriculture products. Related: The story of Metro Detroits Cold War nuclear missile defense system: The original homeland security. 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. Zilwaukee Bridge is ahigh level bridge carrying I-75 [and US-23] over 4: The Accident in The It was only 150 feet wide and several ships ended up clipping the bridge, causing damage and even more traffic issues. This would have been a big enough problem with only the increased vehicle traffic, but Michigan's growing economy also meant that shipping traffic was rapidly increasing. 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. being completed at either end of the new bridge, it was discovered one it joins. and another is attached to the opposite side. had also been converted to full freeway with overpasses and interchanges The tractor and trailer combined weigh 102 tons. Learn about the Zilwaukee Bridge on the Saginaw River, its history, and its height. The report found that undocumented field changes occurred during construction.". The tilting also damaged the pier footing beneath it. The Zilwaukee Bridge has some impressive specifications. Hydraulic presses were used to realign the bridge. through downtown via US-10 and US-23. When Really makes me wonder - if that was a seriously considered plan, what happened? traffic. 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. 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. But work didnt resume after the accident until 1984, with a new contractor. with post-tensioned steel cables to form the deck, or superstructure, of 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 history of the Zilwaukee Bridge is one of adaptation over time, as the little town of Zilwaukee started to grow. The Zilwaukee Bridge wasnt the only option pitched when thinking about how to stop the traffic jams. David J. Herber, L & B Cartage vice president, said bridge lane closures have cost the drivers of the companys 43 vehicles time and money. 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. Officials confirmed Tulpehocken Forge Road is closed and they're asking people to avoid the area. auto transporter trucks weighing 40 tons each. On precast segmental bridges, the concrete segments must be delivered (Thanks to Claire Kerk for the tip!). repairs as well as a discussion of the safety of the bridge, which was Periodically flooded roads around the world. can be pulled from either end. 21.6M vehicles cross each year. Most roads are bridges are simple structures, he said. At Zilwaukee, Work began on the southbound span first during 2013 and then transitioned over to the northbound bridge during 2014. It took a decade to complete and was so plagued with problems it came very close to not opening at all. one of the most spectacular bridges in the world. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. the span for more than a year. crossing the bridge and continuing northerly toward Bay City. The current bridge is not the first Zilwaukee River crossing. 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.

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