Ambassador Bridge crumbling

**Downtown Dave** · November-15-12, 10:41 AM

Yikes! From Nov. 12 Windsor Star:

http://blogs.windsorstar.com/2012/11/12/83404/

**gazhekwe** · November-15-12, 10:46 AM

First truck that falls through will get their attention. Hoping it will just be one truck, not a whole bridge full.

**DetroitHabitater** · November-15-12, 11:12 AM

Obviously capable of owning a bridge, we should give them another.

**rb336** · November-15-12, 11:40 AM

back in the 90s, or maybe the 80s, the bridge got a thorough inspection that said the bridge "with reasonable maintenance" was solid enough to last at least another 75 years. This is why privately owned infrastructure is a mistake - the owners are only interested in maximizing their profit

**drjeff** · November-15-12, 12:30 PM

So Matty spent over $30 million on this past election to prevent another bridge from being built but he can't spend a few mil to actually keep his existing bridge in decent condition. Makes perfect sense.

**Detroitnerd** · November-15-12, 12:57 PM

Originally Posted by rb336

back in the 90s, or maybe the 80s, the bridge got a thorough inspection that said the bridge "with reasonable maintenance" was solid enough to last at least another 75 years. This is why privately owned infrastructure is a mistake - the owners are only interested in maximizing their profit

Actually, the libertarian argument would be the opposite. There’s no interested single owner to look after something when it’s owned by the government. But private owners are more interested in preserving and maintaining their property — because, after all, it’s theirs.

The only thing is, when you have a monopoly, it means people have to accept your product, no matter how shoddy it is. With no competition, Matty can maintain his bridge with chewing gum and baling wire — and if you don’t like it, use the ferry [[which he’s also at war with).

**Gannon** · November-15-12, 01:22 PM

They did considerable rebuilding during the late 70s and early 80s. I know they removed the roaddeck completely, because I almost stepped over a barrier into nothing while desperately having to recycle some of the Molson Brador we consumed at Mother's Pizza. I'll never forget realizing that there was NOTHING beyond the barrier between me and the river, except for some I-beams.

Maybe the Canadians are laying the groundwork to CONDEMN the structure if Matty starts playing dirty delaying the inevitable competition. Wouldn't that be amazing?!

**Gannon** · November-15-12, 01:27 PM

We can probably find similar damage on our side, if someone can sneak a picture or three before Homeland Insecurity arrives [[or even Dan-the-man comes with his shotgun)!

**GPCharles** · November-15-12, 02:31 PM

The holes appear to be in the unused pedestrian walkway, although that is little consolation to the people beneath the holes.

How does he have a monopoly - what about the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel and the twin-spanned Blue Water Bridge? Anyone coming from east of London, ON would more likely take the Blue Water.

**Gannon** · November-15-12, 02:55 PM

Originally Posted by GPCharles

The holes appear to be in the unused pedestrian walkway, although that is little consolation to the people beneath the holes.

How does he have a monopoly - what about the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel and the twin-spanned Blue Water Bridge? Anyone coming from east of London, ON would more likely take the Blue Water.

Windsorites say they can see trucks driving over some of the holes.

He has monopoly enough on the lucrative truck traffic. Almost none of them want to drive all the way to Port Huron, that would be out-of-the-way for anyone heading up the 401.

**davewindsor** · November-15-12, 03:16 PM

Sheer neglect by Moroun. Yet, he has the nerve to say in his interview I posted the link to in the other thread that the new government funded bridge is bad for the public because the government couldn't run a bridge as cheaply as he could.

I've seen those holes for a couple years now and it's only getting worse and he's doing nothing about it. I spoke to a concrete guy and the reason that happens is because they salt the bridge in the winter, yet they don't seal the top and the cracks in the concrete in the summer. So the salt gets on the steel rebars and what happens when salt and water touches steel? The rebars expand/explode and all the concrete around it crumbles to the ground below. That's what happens when they avoid regular common sense maintenance to save a few bucks in the short term. I hope no one gets hurt.

**Gannon** · November-15-12, 03:19 PM

More disturbing than the holes in the concrete is that rust-through in the supporting I-beams!

**401don** · November-15-12, 03:27 PM

Infrastructure is crumbling all over. Same thing is happening to the Gardiner Expressway, downtown Toronto.

http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&...aU9BxS-LlY3KOg

**davewindsor** · November-15-12, 03:35 PM

Originally Posted by 401don

Infrastructure is crumbling all over. Same thing is happening to the Gardiner Expressway, downtown Toronto.

http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&...aU9BxS-LlY3KOg

It's not the same thing. Where's the holes like you see through the Ambassador bridge? I see the Gardiner, two boom trucks and maintenance workers in the link. I don't see any holes. Looks like they're doing proper maintenance if they've got workers out there.

**GPCharles** · November-15-12, 03:36 PM

He has monopoly enough on the lucrative truck traffic. Almost none of them want to drive all the way to Port Huron, that would be out-of-the-way for anyone heading up the 401.

Have you seen the truck traffic at the Blue Water? Many truckers heading west of Detroit take the Blue Water as their 1st choice - off the bridge and almost directly onto I-69 west to Lansing, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Battle Creek and Chicago. And many truckers heading to the northern suburbs also use the Blue Water as the shorter alternative. The 401 connects to the 403 just west of London. Try it on MapQuest - the Bluewater and the 403/401 is selected as the shorter/quicker route to Toronto.

**Wesley Mouch** · November-15-12, 03:51 PM

Originally Posted by GPCharles

...

How does he have a monopoly - what about the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel and the twin-spanned Blue Water Bridge? Anyone coming from east of London, ON would more likely take the Blue Water.

It clearly not an absolute monopoly -- and I sometime wonder why more trucks don't avoid Matty's bridge more than they do. I suspect that any truck coming up I75 from Ohio/Kentucky/etc. rather than I94 [[Chicago/Texas) doesn't want to deal with the traffic and mess of Detroit.

What we want of course is the trucks to stay here. With the trucks, we get spin off, taxes, and more industry in our area.

**401don** · November-15-12, 03:51 PM

Originally Posted by GPCharles

Have you seen the truck traffic at the Blue Water? Many truckers heading west of Detroit take the Blue Water as their 1st choice - off the bridge and almost directly onto I-69 west to Lansing, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Battle Creek and Chicago. And many truckers heading to the northern suburbs also use the Blue Water as the shorter alternative. The 401 connects to the 403 just west of London. Try it on MapQuest - the Bluewater and the 403/401 is selected as the shorter/quicker route to Toronto.

Actually, you mean the 402 connects west of London. The 403 is east of London and heads to the QEW for that crumbling Gardiner or Buffalo/Niagara.

**Lowell** · November-15-12, 03:55 PM

Maybe someone should suggest to Mr. Moroun that he build a new parallel bridge next to the Ambassador.

**Detroitnerd** · November-15-12, 04:42 PM

Originally Posted by GPCharles

Have you seen the truck traffic at the Blue Water? Many truckers heading west of Detroit take the Blue Water as their 1st choice - off the bridge and almost directly onto I-69 west to Lansing, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Battle Creek and Chicago. And many truckers heading to the northern suburbs also use the Blue Water as the shorter alternative. The 401 connects to the 403 just west of London. Try it on MapQuest - the Bluewater and the 403/401 is selected as the shorter/quicker route to Toronto.

OK, so he has a monopoly on traffic heading across 401 and going anywhere south of Detroit. So there ya go.

**yupislyr** · November-15-12, 11:54 PM

More related tidbits...

http://blogs.windsorstar.com/2012/11...l-with-moroun/

This I did know... that the U of Windsor sold land to Moroun & Co. that they wanted for "security" reasons and for their proposed bridge twinning. In the meantime, they now lease back that very same land from Moroun and continue to use it for parking. Some folks that park there are understandably concerned about possible falling debris.

This I did not know... Moroun Jr. is on the U of Windsor board of governors.

**davewindsor** · November-16-12, 12:05 AM

Originally Posted by yupislyr

More related tidbits...

http://blogs.windsorstar.com/2012/11...l-with-moroun/

This I did know... that the U of Windsor sold land to Moroun & Co. that they wanted for "security" reasons and for their proposed bridge twinning. In the meantime, they now lease back that very same land from Moroun and continue to use it for parking. Some folks that park there are understandably concerned about possible falling debris.

This I did not know... Moroun Jr. is on the U of Windsor board of governors.

Hopefully, the new seven level, thousand car parking garage the University of Windsor is building will alleviate the university's reliance on slumlord and company for parking and lead the way towards giving JR the boot. http://www.uwindsor.ca/dailynews/201...king-structure

**wolverine** · November-16-12, 02:01 AM

Most new bridges have metal decking overtop the girders to prevent concrete from falling. Might be time to have the whole bridge redecked instead of patching. I'd be surprised if that happened anytime soon

**detroitbob** · November-17-12, 06:08 AM

The bridge is well past its lifespan...

**Zacha341** · November-17-12, 08:02 AM

It was built in 1930... and we have the cold weather with the expansion of metals from freeze and thaw cycles. Other bridges have corrosion from salt water, etc.

Originally Posted by detroitbob

The bridge is well past its lifespan...

**Wesley Mouch** · November-17-12, 11:57 AM

Deck condition is irrelevant to bridge lifespan. Condition of the cables is crucial. I'll be Matty knows this to the penny.

Reminds me of the Tiger Stadium 'rusting girder' line. I've worked with structural engineer on vacant commercial structures. I don't remember the exact figure, the but amount of steel that can rust away on a girder before structural concerns is much more than you would think.

If you don't mind a little falling concrete, a few holes, and bad PR -- this is a great way to defer capital repairs.

If he's tending to the major steel members and the cables, the AB suspension bridge should outlast Zilwaukee or any of those new concrete structures. But what do I know. Any structural engineers out there?