Rouge River Portage

[Kimmiann]

I have a rant, which I have not done before [[at least not here). As a life-long Downriver [[-ite, -Rat, whatever) who has been working at DMC's central campus since 2001, I can't for the life of me figure out WHY I am being forced to travel I-75 if I want to cross the Rouge River, which I must, in order to get home. First, the planned 2-year closing of the Fort Street Bridge [[now post-poned even further until April of this year). Then, shortly after that the drunken accident with the Jefferson Bridge [[which doesn't look like it will be repaired at all) and now the Dix Bridge is closed as well. Last week, a chunk of the roadwork on the I-75 overpass needed emergency repairs as well. How in the world does this perfect storm come about?!? I have emailed MDOT and my congressman to complain and I got platitudes about all the roads needing repairs. Well, no shit! I have always enjoyed the back-roads journeys from Midtown to Downriver [[especially Jefferson along the river) and now I think that may be a thing of the past. I don't like the freeway, never have. More to the point, I feel as if MDOT has all but written off the Downriver communities. Did anyone not look at a map when they were planning this stuff? And why in the hell does the I-75 Rouge River Bridge need emergency repairs, anyway? It hasn't been that long since that stretch of road was closed for a major overhaul. [[4 or 5 years ago, maybe?) At any rate, a large chunk of metro Detroit is being systematically cut off from the core and nobody seems to care but me! One of the perks of living Downriver USED TO BE traffic was not nearly as bad as the commutes to the Western and Northern suburbs, not any more, it has become a nightmare. My commute is just under 19 miles one way, and sometimes it takes over an hour! I am royally frustrated and ticked off and now I have to go because I have a 4:45 appointment in Wyandotte and its snowing and I'm not sure 45 minutes is enough time for what should be a 20 minute drive! We may need to consider ferry boats across the Rouge!

[Lowell]

Sooo... The Jefferson Bridge whose picture I took in November while touring Delray is still closed??



Your rant is justified. Looks like all you can hope for is the for the Rouge to freeze over enough so you can drive across it.

[Lowell]

Looking it up on Google Street view a view dated Sept. 2013 shows it closed. Has it been that long?

[mikeg19]

Can they not just repair the steel and concrete deck, or is there a major structural issue with the bridge from the accident that requires a teardown?

[Downriviera]

Trade your car in for a microphone then get yourself a 1974 Dodge Monaco 440 Magnum, squad car package. It's got a cop motor, cop suspension, cop shocks, cop tires. Its a model made before catalytic converters so it runs good on regular gas.

[Downriviera]

I'm with you. Its insane to have 3 draw bridges out. Not a great alternative but I use Michigan Ave then Schafer to get back. I avoid 75 and 94 like the plague during rush hour times.

[mtburb]

Ever since the Jefferson Bridge closed I've been going into Detroit less often now than I used to.

[Danny]

Can they not just repair the steel and concrete deck, or is there a major structural issue with the bridge from the accident that requires a teardown?

No, that drawbridge on E. Jefferson Rd. to River Rouge was custom made over 50 years ago. The whole drawbridge has to be taken down and be custom made all over again. It's going to be up to ten years to get that bridge fixed.

[Khorasaurus]

Why is the Dix bridge closed?

I understand that the Fort Street construction is taking a while, and I guess I understand why it's going to be a while before Jefferson is fixed, but, with that going on, why the hell would you also close Dix?

It's not just downriver residents that are impacted. There are tons of industrial facilities up and down the Route there, all of their trucks are forced onto the freeway.

[wilderness]

The Dearborn Ave exit is open, however not sure what's the point from there as your nearly over the Rouge Bridge by then anyway.

At any rate, a large chunk of metro Detroit is being systematically cut off from the core and nobody seems to care but me!

The Rouge bridge decimated multiple thriving communities upon its construction. Planners had to be aware that was going to happen.

[jackie5275]

I have emailed MDOT and my congressman to complain and I got platitudes about all the roads needing repairs.

Of course on the State level, you will get that response, especially because they want to get that tax put through.

However, these bridges are maintained by Wayne County. You might want to start complaining to your commissioner.

[guito13]

The commute IS HORRIBLE. Its been like this since BCBS moved into downtown. All the alternate routes across the rouge are closed except schafer and that is out of the way. You have a 75% chance of being slowed by an accident by a driver who apparently cannot navigate the S curve on the 75 rouge bridge or avoiding a pothole over the goddard road overpass.

Luckily I can take 94 to 275 south as well to get home at night and even though its 10 miles more, sometimes its 10 minutes quicker.

[Wesley Mouch]

The Dearborn Ave exit is open, however not sure what's the point from there as your nearly over the Rouge Bridge by then anyway. The Rouge bridge decimated multiple thriving communities upon its construction. Planners had to be aware that was going to happen.

Well that settles it. I always thought it was racism. No. It was just a bridge.

[wilderness]

Well that settles it. I always thought it was racism. No. It was just a bridge.

Wesley, Delary was a glorious multi-ethnic community already in its decline, however the loss of access traffic from the bridge was the final nail. Even River Rouge, where my Father and Uncle were born, the main streets of Jefferson and Schaefer contained block after block of thriving business'. Fort St., Dix and Jefferson [[as previously mentioned here) were the main thru-ways for traffic from Downriver to Detroit. Travel those roads today and the business' and communities are blighted, never to return.

[jackie5275]

Wesley, Delary was a glorious multi-ethnic community already in its decline, however the loss of access traffic from the bridge was the final nail. Even River Rouge, where my Father and Uncle were born, the main streets of Jefferson and Schaefer contained block after block of thriving business'. Fort St., Dix and Jefferson [[as previously mentioned here) were the main thru-ways for traffic from Downriver to Detroit. Travel those roads today and the business' and communities are blighted, never to return.

See what doing things in the name of "progress" gets you.

[Beech Cricker]

Update on the three bridges' reopenings:
http://www.thenewsherald.com/article...c390601698.txt

[Danny]

The Dearborn Ave exit is open, however not sure what's the point from there as your nearly over the Rouge Bridge by then anyway. The Rouge bridge decimated multiple thriving communities upon its construction. Planners had to be aware that was going to happen.

At least we the I-75 FWY bridge. Which it's 30 years out of date, filled with potholes and cracks and destined to collapse. Then what? Get the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to repair the bridge.

Thanks a heap! Ficano. I'm glad you're out of politics.

[Danny]

Of course on the State level, you will get that response, especially because they want to get that tax put through.

However, these bridges are maintained by Wayne County. You might want to start complaining to your commissioner.

Folks in downriver suburbs did. Their response under Ficano! '...............'

[ABetterDetroit]

Trade your car in for a microphone then get yourself a 1974 Dodge Monaco 440 Magnum, squad car package. It's got a cop motor, cop suspension, cop shocks, cop tires. Its a model made before catalytic converters so it runs good on regular gas.

You forgot about the Model 29 to help balance it.

[Honky Tonk]

No, that drawbridge on E. Jefferson Rd. to River Rouge was custom made over 50 years ago. The whole drawbridge has to be taken down and be custom made all over again. It's going to be up to ten years to get that bridge fixed.

They'll cross that bridge when they come to it.

[Kimmiann]

They'll cross that bridge when they come to it.

Honky Tonk - that one made me giggle, thanks!

To everyone else, thanks for your responses, I don't feel quite so alone now!