DETROIT (WWJ) – MDOT officials are giving Metro Detroit drivers a heads-up as the department prepares for a weeklong closure of I-94 in Detroit for bridge work.
Work crews will be moving the new Second Avenue bridge over I-94 in Detroit, which will require the freeway to be closed in both directions between I-75 and M-10 (Lodge Freeway).
The closure will start at 4 a.m. Friday and last until 4 a.m. on Friday, July 29, as long as the weather cooperates, according to MDOT.
During the closure, eastbound I-94 traffic will be diverted to the southbound Lodge, then northbound I-75 back to EB I-94.
Westbound traffic on I-94, meanwhile, will be sent along SB I-75 to WB I-96 back to WB I-94.
Starting at 1 a.m. Friday, MDOT will close all entrance ramps to EB I-94 from 30th Street – just west of Warren Avenue – to Chrysler Drive, while all entrance ramps to WB I-94 will be closed from Mt. Elliott Street to Trumbull Avenue.
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MDOT officials say the new Second Avenue bridge will be the first network tied arch bridge built in the state. It will replace the original bridge structure, which was built in 1954 and has never been replaced.
“Network” refers to the cables that are crossed from the top of the arch to the bottom of the driving surface on both sides of the structure. Officials say this innovative design eliminates the need for a center pier, which will accommodate the future I-94/M-10 interchange.
The bridge was built in a parking lot at Wayne State University. MDOT spokesperson Rob Morosi tells WWJ the closure will be an inconvenience for drivers, but it will be worth it.
"Closing a freeway at 4 a.m. is not for the faint of heart. So we ask all motorists in that area, even if you're driving through before 4 a.m., to really be on the look out for the workers. They're just doing their jobs," Morosi said.
“Moving the skeleton of the bridge across the freeway will be done using self-propelled modular transporters (SPMTs), which are multi-axled rolling platforms,” an MDOT press release says. “The skeleton will then be secured onto the new bridge supports on each side of I-94. Afterward, a team of engineers will conduct detailed inspections prior to reopening the freeway.”
After the move, a new driving surface will be built on the skeleton of the bridge. Additional short-term closures will be required before opening to traffic.
More information on the Second Avenue bridge project, including photos of the new structure, is available on the I-94 modernization project website.
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