GROSSE ILE, Mich. (WWJ) -- Wayne County officials are taking aim at a problem plaguing Grosse Ile residents -- back ups at the bridge to the mainland.
The Wayne County Commission on Thursday night unanimously approved a resolution to prohibit the Coast Guard from closing the Grosse Ile Toll Bridge to motorists during rush hour, as many drivers have had to deal with long back ups and rising tolls while the “free bridge” has been closed for repairs since May 2020.
The two bridges are the only ways for residents to get to and from the island. The Coast Guard maintains jurisdiction over both bridges
Under the resolution passed Thursday, the Coast Guard would be allowed to raise the drawbridge only for emergency passage of vessels in the Trenton channel during rush hour.
Specifically, the resolution defines those rush hour traffic times as between 7-10 a.m. and 3-7 p.m. on weekdays, and noon-4 p.m. on weekends through Dec. 21.
"By granting the request for the temporary rule modification, the Coast Guard would strike a reasonable balance between the needs of water vessel and motor vehicle traffic, and would serve the public interest by enhancing safety by substantially eliminating motor vehicle back-ups on both ends of the Toll Drawbridge,” the resolution says.
The resolution was sponsored by County Commission Vice Chair Joseph Palamara, D-Grosse Ile, who tells WWJ when the bridge is raised, it causes a major headache for drivers trying to get to and from Grosse Ile.
“I was in a wait of 35 minutes two days ago at around 5:00,” Palamara told WWJ Friday. “And you know what, people are aggravated enough to have to pay to get home, and it adds insult to injury when you’ve got to wait and then pay.”
Palamara says a “bad backup” often turns into a “ridiculous backup” when the Coast Guard has to raise the drawbridge during peak traffic hours.
The commissioner says he is hoping to hear a response from the Coast Guard sometime next week.
The free bridge, known officially as the Wayne County Bridge, was closed for repairs on May 6, 2020, with officials initially pinpointing December of 2020 as the date for re-opening, but the $9.3 million has suffered setbacks.
The toll bridge, accounting for 100% of traffic since the closure of the free bridge, normally accounts for just 25% of traffic to and from the island, officials said.