Fort Street Bridge Now Open with Covered Bridge on Top??

**jackie5275** · January-02-16, 10:54 AM

http://insidesouthwest.com/2016/01/0...opens-back-up/

Apparently, after 2 1/2 years, the Fort Street bridge is open again, but what the heck is this covered bridge on top of it?

**Honky Tonk** · January-02-16, 11:01 AM

Originally Posted by jackie5275

Apparently, after 2 1/2 years, the Fort Street bridge is open again, but what the heck is this covered bridge on top of it?

They got a great deal on it from the Grosse Pointe Farmers Market....

**mtburb** · January-02-16, 11:47 AM

Well at least that opens up a bit more accessibility into the city for me.

**Dumpling** · January-02-16, 12:03 PM

Every now and then there would be a pedestrian hiking on "the shoulder" over
the I-75 Rouge River Bridge. Hopefully there's no more of that now!

**Danny** · January-02-16, 12:33 PM

YAY At last no more taking long cuts around the Dix Street Bridge. When the I-75 Rouge River Bridge closes soon for major repairs, folks will be taking the Fort Street and Dix Street Bridge soon.

**Jimaz** · January-02-16, 02:38 PM

Originally Posted by jackie5275

... the Fort Street bridge is open again, but what the heck is this covered bridge on top of it?

Good question. From The News-Herald:

The project includes reconstructing Fort Street between Miller Road and Powell Street, upgrading utilities and replacing the double-leaf bascule bridge with a single-leaf-style that includes overhead counterweights.

I'd like to hear more about that design.

**Gannon** · January-02-16, 04:10 PM

Originally Posted by jackie5275

Apparently, after 2 1/2 years, the Fort Street bridge is open again, but what the heck is this covered bridge on top of it?

That's where the DRUNK LADY sits!

**lpg** · January-02-16, 07:33 PM

Originally Posted by Gannon

That's where the DRUNK LADY sits!

Maybe it's a tiki hut...

**mikeg19** · January-04-16, 07:10 AM

You'd think it would blend in more with the bridge.Not just some plywood covering.

**belleislerunner** · January-04-16, 08:28 AM

20 minutes to open/shut each time a boat comes by? Not interested...

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/new...idge/78228992/

What fool didn't have it up and running at full power on day one?

It may as well be broke.

**MikeM** · January-04-16, 10:42 AM

Yes, they should have kept it closed for six more months just so it can open at full speed the first time. I'm sure no one would care.

**drjeff** · January-04-16, 11:24 AM

It's a bizarre design. Instead of a traditional drawbridge, in which the bridge splits in the middle and both sides lift up, this one is all in one piece. So the entire bridge roadway has to be raised by one mechanism on the eastern end.

**Downriviera** · January-04-16, 11:26 AM

Originally Posted by belleislerunner

20 minutes to open/shut each time a boat comes by? Not interested...

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/new...idge/78228992/

What fool didn't have it up and running at full power on day one?

It may as well be broke.

Print a copy of this news story to show your boss when you are late for work.

**bust** · January-04-16, 04:29 PM

Currently, it takes almost 20 minutes for the bridge to go up [[and another 20 to go down) because it’s operating at reduced power. Eventually, the bridge will be able to open in less than a minute.

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/new...idge/78228992/

Minor failing, but proof local journalists do not fulfill even their most basic duties. She says the bridge will eventually improve 20-fold when it operates at full power, but neglects to say why we must wait.

The most basic tenet of journalism is to follow the 5 Ws and the 1 H. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Ws

**canuck** · January-04-16, 09:00 PM

I think whoever designed this tore a sheet straight out of the Fort Détroit stylebook. Prolly aiming for a Heritage Society prize.

It needs a couple of loopholes and some pointy palisade boards in some places, a timely patina, and it'll look fine.

**Gannon** · January-04-16, 09:30 PM

The round trip from Cobo Hall to Fort and Southfield and back was roughly 35 minutes today. I'm rather liking this route, especially since the Rouge Bridge of I-75 seems to want to eat cars.

This thing only has wood and windows on the incoming side, the outgoing looks like the butt-end of a freighter. Solid gray cement, four stories high. Ballasst.

It is more moat-crossing than bridge, when opened, it will be a solid block of concrete. Nobody comes in, and nobody gets out.

Cheers!

**canuck** · January-04-16, 10:35 PM

Originally Posted by Gannon

The round trip from Cobo Hall to Fort and Southfield and back was roughly 35 minutes today. I'm rather liking this route, especially since the Rouge Bridge of I-75 seems to want to eat cars.

This thing only has wood and windows on the incoming side, the outgoing looks like the butt-end of a freighter. Solid gray cement, four stories high. Ballasst.

It is more moat-crossing than bridge, when opened, it will be a solid block of concrete. Nobody comes in, and nobody gets out.

Cheers!

On-Twon Laumet, Sieur de Cadillac would have been proud of this contraption swallowing Tauruses and Malibus. I wonder if it spits out unpalatable Jettas.

**RO_Resident** · January-08-16, 08:56 AM

Some information about the bridge closing next week from an MDOT press release sent out this morning. The structure is still undergoing its sea [[bridge?) trials:

Mid-dayclosures of M-85 bascule bridge
Jan. 11-16 in Wayne County

START DATE:
Monday, Jan. 11, 2016
9 a.m.

END DATE:
Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016
4:30 p.m.

PROJECT DETAILS:
The new M-85 bascule bridge betweenOakwood Boulevard and Miller Road will be closed next week between 9 a.m. and4:30 p.m. for electrical and mechanical testing and to install a roof and icemelting system. Recent power outages in the area have slowed the progress ofthe work. The 8.2 million-pound bridge leaf is currently opening and closing at10 percent of the designed speed to provide a safe operating bridge. Wheninspection of electrical and mechanical systems is complete, the bridge will beoperating at full speed.