After years of planning and construction, a unique bridge in Detroit officially reopened to the public last week.
Federal, state and local leaders gathered for a news conference and the ribbon cutting of the new Second Avenue bridge over Interstate 94 in Detroit.
"This is an amazing bridge," Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt said at the event. "And this is dollars from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law being put to work."
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said the bridge is what federal, state, and local governments can do when they work together.
"I'm proud to be here to celebrate the opening of the Second Avenue Bridge," she said. "This bridge truly is an engineering marvel and it's a testament to the incredible expertise and professionalism of all those who helped build it."
The bridge is the first network-tied arch bridge in Michigan and is the first skewed and unbraced network arch bridge to be constructed in the U.S., according to officials.
Network tied-arch bridges get part of their name from the network of cables on both sides of the span that cross from the top of their arches to the bottom of their decks. The deck’s shape, lack of arch supports, and the deck that features two acute corners and two obtuse corners also make for a unique structure.
The new bridge is 245 feet long, 96.5 feet wide and 44.5 feet tall. It also weighs about 5 million pounds.
Construction of the bridge was done off-site and the process to move it into place began in July 2022. Crews moved it across the freeway and bolted it in place.
It is part of the Michigan Department of Transportation's (MDOT) multi-billion-dollar project to improve I-94. The total project cost $26 million to build.
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Source: The Detroit News
