Bridge relations reaching the boiling point in River Rouge

[mtburb]

Over two years after the accident of 2013, local residents still must deal with out-of-the-way detours in order to get into River Rouge and vice-versa. Portions of West Jefferson north of Coolidge have reached the point of becoming doomed to the point that a few businesses have even had no choice but to hang up the dreaded "going out of business" banner, all because of what they must deal with [[original):



As a result of a combination of this, the closure of the Fort Street Bridge for scheduled reconstruction and periodical closures of the Dix Bridge, I-75 has logically become the only logical available route from Detroit into the Downriver communities, as even SMART had to reroute it's Fort Street route via I-75. [[DDOT instead opted to end the Schaefer route just before the bridge on the River Rouge side.)

In two extreme examples, a graphic design business reported an 80% decline in earnings and a party store resorted into becoming a smaller Meijer just to survive. Even despite pretty much every remaining storefront displaying orange "fix the d[[I can't say that) bridge" signs, no signs of progress are visible.

There is some hope though-and that hope is in the new international crossing just a mile up Jefferson from the damaged bridge. Some are predicting that River Rouge would become the residence of many new workers that the new crossing would bring, but that most likely won't happen until the bridge is repaired.

How much longer can River Rouge and Delray be separated completely as long as the Jefferson Bridge remains as it is right now?

Take a drive up West Jefferson in northern River Rouge in 2013 with Google Street View.

[SaintMe]

Over two years after the accident of 2013, local residents still must deal with out-of-the-way detours in order to get into River Rouge and vice-versa. Portions of West Jefferson north of Coolidge have reached the point of becoming doomed to the point that a few businesses have even had no choice but to hang up the dreaded "going out of business" banner, all because of what they must deal with [[original):



As a result of a combination of this, the closure of the Fort Street Bridge for scheduled reconstruction and periodical closures of the Dix Bridge, I-75 has logically become the only logical available route from Detroit into the Downriver communities, as even SMART had to reroute it's Fort Street route via I-75. [[DDOT instead opted to end the Schaefer route just before the bridge on the River Rouge side.)

In two extreme examples, a graphic design business reported an 80% decline in earnings and a party store resorted into becoming a smaller Meijer just to survive. Even despite pretty much every remaining storefront displaying orange "fix the d[[I can't say that) bridge" signs, no signs of progress are visible.

There is some hope though-and that hope is in the new international crossing just a mile up Jefferson from the damaged bridge. Some are predicting that River Rouge would become the residence of many new workers that the new crossing would bring, but that most likely won't happen until the bridge is repaired.

How much longer can River Rouge and Delray be separated completely as long as the Jefferson Bridge remains as it is right now?

Take a drive up West Jefferson in northern River Rouge in 2013 with Google Street View.

On top of that, aren't there also plans to close the I-75 bridge for repairs in 2016/17? I don't know how anyone can justify closing off the Jefferson, Fort St., and I-75 bridges at the same time.

[canuck]

That bridge in the upright position looks like a building by Norman Foster.

[Gpwrangler]

This is simple. Bill the owner of the ship that hit the bridge and put crews on OT to fix it. What a disgrace.

[subsidized]

In case you missed it.

http://www.wxyz.com/news/region/wayn...wbridge-repair

[Jimaz]

This is simple. Bill the owner of the ship that hit the bridge and put crews on OT to fix it. What a disgrace.

I think it's pretty much agreed that the incident was the fault of the bridge operator, not the ship.

[Jimaz]

...

That is a really interesting photo. The only diagonal struts that are crumpled are the ones that go from lower left to upper right. The others are perfectly straight. That, and the obvious damage at the upper right shows the impact came from right to left.

I love it when a photo tells a story.

[One Shot]

This is simple. Bill the owner of the ship that hit the bridge and put crews on OT to fix it. What a disgrace.

No...bill the drunk degenerate that lowered the bridge into the path of the ship

[Gpwrangler]

No...bill the drunk degenerate that lowered the bridge into the path of the ship

That would be quite an expensive mistake!

[Honky Tonk]

I love it when a photo tells a story.

Every picture tells a story, don't it?

[Hermod]

No...bill the drunk degenerate that lowered the bridge into the path of the ship

How do you collect, sell him and his extended family into slavery?

Lawyers will tell you, you can't get blood out of a turnip. You can only sue people with deep pockets.

[Neilr]

From their web site. Giovanni's has been doing its best to deal with the bridge closure.

[BillyBBrew]

That is a really interesting photo. The only diagonal struts that are crumpled are the ones that go from lower left to upper right. The others are perfectly straight. That, and the obvious damage at the upper right shows the impact came from right to left.

I love it when a photo tells a story.

The other ones that aren't bent are broken off at the center gusset plate. Also, the whole span is shifted to the west and the part even more so. Here is a pic from the morning a couple hours after it happened. There are arrows showing how far the span was pushed over.

[BillyBBrew]

There is absolutely no excuse for this not being fixed. This happened May 12, 2013. The bridge was miraculously insured. Why did it take until July 2015 to approve money for the repairs. If it had been the fault of the ship, it would have been repaired already. You can bet that they would have gone after the insurance company and it would either be finished or almost finished.

[Gannon]

We had a family event down in Trenton a month or so ago, my cousin's husband was playing at his band's reunion down at the Trenton festival and a bunch of my Polish cousins drove down to hear him sing out-of-pitch.

Driving down in rush hour, I knew across town would be ugly, and I'd SWEAR I heard this bridge had been fixed and was newly reopened. I guess that was from a dream, in retrospect.

But we drove Jefferson past Fort Wayne, all the while me giving my girl a running description of all the stuff I could remember from back in the day...until we got close to the 'end' of the street.

If there is anyone who doubts that the air around the refinery and Zug Island is healthy...they can get all the proof they need scattered all around for blocks before this damaged bridge.

It is a dead seagull graveyard, as far as you can see...carnage.

We were so shook up, we almost turned around and drove home. I'm still shook up after seeing all those dead birds...everywhere.

[Honky Tonk]

We had a family event down in Trenton a month or so ago, my cousin's husband was playing at his band's reunion down at the Trenton festival and a bunch of my Polish cousins drove down to hear him sing out-of-pitch.

Driving down in rush hour, I knew across town would be ugly, and I'd SWEAR I heard this bridge had been fixed and was newly reopened. I guess that was from a dream, in retrospect.

But we drove Jefferson past Fort Wayne, all the while me giving my girl a running description of all the stuff I could remember from back in the day...until we got close to the 'end' of the street.

If there is anyone who doubts that the air around the refinery and Zug Island is healthy...they can get all the proof they need scattered all around for blocks before this damaged bridge.

It is a dead seagull graveyard, as far as you can see...carnage.

We were so shook up, we almost turned around and drove home. I'm still shook up after seeing all those dead birds...everywhere.

Could you give me the cross streets where this "seagull carnage" is @? Driving through there regularly I'm somehow missing it. I'd like to take some photos.

[Smirnoff]

^^^^Quit texting while driving.....

[preserve]

Maybe the gulls were just sleeping.

[RickBeall]

It might not have been the air. It could have been poisoned water or food too.

Or maybe it was a air. Maybe a huge could of C02 or something smothered them. Interesting sight though.

[Jimaz]

...

It is a dead seagull graveyard, as far as you can see...carnage....

At least they aren't dead canaries in coal mines.

Oh, wait.

[Dumpling]

Gannon, I work right by the Jefferson Bridge, can see it out the back window,
and was amused by your seeing the Dead Sea Gull Graveyard.
You did see it, and it is a testament to how observant and caring you are.
What you don't know, because you don't come here every week, is that 2015 was just
about the best year ever for the wastewater plant seagulls. The flock population
bounced up from [[pure guesstimate) 700 to over 1000 [[pure guesstimate).
After the lengthening of the days, the ring billed seagull is the first sign of spring
in Detroit. A few early bird seagulls start to gather at the wastewater plant even
before the earliest crocuses bloom. Week by week more seagulls report to their
family reunion until there are hundreds present. Their bird conversations go on and
on all day and into the night. Matches are made, eggs are laid on Detroit Marine
Terminal rooftops and gravel, and sometime around Easter, little fluffy gray speckled
chicks start to appear. Some of the eggs didn't make it. Coyotes and wild dogs
sometimes brave the din and the dive bombing for an all-they-can-eat gull egg
midnight snack. Dauntless surviving gulls lay a second batch of eggs if they have to.
I don't think they do a third batch. By July there is a substantial layer of droppings
and feathers around. By August the babies can fly - they are big but still gray - and
most have left.
You saw the ones that didn't make it - lots of them sleep in the middle of the road
at night and can be hit by noncaring drivers. Some get poisoned by botulism toxin
from Lake Erie but there wasn't much of that this year.

[mtburb]

Warren Evans has announced that the Jefferson Bridge should reopen this August, from words at Tuesday's River Rouge Commission meeting.

http://www.thenewsherald.com/articles/2016/04/06/news/doc57054b5fc09ff521275046.txt

The Fort Street bridge has already reopened since this thread's original discussion.

[Milwaukee Junction]

Could you give me the cross streets where this "seagull carnage" is @? Driving through there regularly I'm somehow missing it. I'd like to take some photos.

Youtube's "Chosen Won" recently uploaded a video showing what looked like a scene out of the movie birds. In a lot just east of the Jefferson Rouge Bridge, Pretty crazy. His channel is worth checking out if you like seeing the gritty side of Detroit from a non sugar coated approach. Plus he has lots of other interesting content including a tour of the Boblo Columbia Boat.

[Jimaz]

Youtube's "Chosen Won" ...His channel is worth checking out if you like seeing the gritty side of Detroit from a non sugar coated approach. Plus he has lots of other interesting content including a tour of the Boblo Columbia Boat.

That deserves a link.

This must be the video: A Treat For Some Top Notch Scavengers

His channel: Chosen Won

[lpg]

I wonder if the person that lowered the bridge lost their job or just moved on to another.