Oct. 18, 2008 - - With repair work nearing completion, Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) crews will soon reopen the Zilwaukee Bridge over the Saginaw River, Saginaw County. The repairs involve placement of a bracing system around the exterior of a damaged bridge beam.
Crews are expected to complete the installation work and open the bridge to traffic early next week. A 20-minute closure will occur on northbound I-75 south of M-46 to accommodate sign replacement. This closure also will allow crews to switch detoured traffic from I-675 northbound lanes back to I-75 northbound lanes across the bridge and re-stripe the roadway. This road closure, tentatively scheduled to occur Tuesday, Oct. 21, will be announced.
At the completion of the repair work, prior to reopening closed lanes to traffic, the bridge will undergo diagnostic load testing to assure safe and reliable operation.
MDOT is in the process of assessing the cost for the repairs and will seek the services of an independent consultant to provide analysis regarding responsibility for the cost of the repairs.
Currently, southbound lanes across the Zilwaukee Bridge remain open to traffic, with
I-75 northbound traffic detoured to northbound I-675. The following local ramp closures are required to accommodate the traffic detour to northbound I-675:
The northbound I-675 exit ramp to southbound I-75 is closed.
M-13 exit ramps (between Mile Markers 150 and 154) to north- and southbound I-75 are closed. To access I-75, motorists traveling on M-13 are advised to take M-81 east to I-75.
The North Adams Street ramps to north- and southbound I-75 in the city of Zilwaukee are closed.
The northbound I-75 exit ramp to M-13 is open.
The southbound I-75 exit ramp to M-13 is closed. To access M-13, motorists traveling on I-75 southbound are advised to take Exit 2B to downtown Saginaw, where signs to M-13 are posted, or continue on southbound I-675 (past Exit 2B) to northbound I-75 to M-13.
The M-81 exit ramps to north- and southbound I-75 are open.
BACKGROUND:
In February 2008, work was scheduled to complete the routine replacement of three-foot-diameter bridge bearings across the Zilwaukee Bridge. Near the onset of this project, the contractor, Midwest Bridge Company, reported to the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) that reinforcements within the bridge beams were discovered that were not expected. Upon opening a bridge joint, crews encountered and cut the reinforcement steel. These steel bars were reported by the contractor to be situated in a way that complicated installation of the new bearings.
MDOT consulted with the designer and determined that it was best to halt the project in order to come to a decision about how best to proceed. Work was immediately suspended.
The determined fix, a retrofit concept, involves constructing an external, post-tensioned, steel bracing system. This retrofit will compensate for the loss of some of the post-tensioning strands and re-enforcement steel, and support the bearing end of the concrete segment.
For more information, contact Louis J. Taylor, P.E., delivery engineer, MDOT Bay City Transportation Service Center, at 989-233-0633.
Protect Michigan families: Where Workers Present Drive 45!
- A message from MDOT and Michigan's Give 'em a Brake Safety Coalition
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