9 Mile/I-75 Bridge Re-Opening

**Meddle** · December-12-09, 12:09 AM

The 9 Mile Road overpass above I-75 in Hazel Park reopened this afternoon, the Michigan Department of Transportation said.

It took crews about seven weeks to rebuild the bridge destroyed in July in a fiery tanker crash. The work was part of a $12 million project that will include rebuilding a mile-long stretch of I-75 in that area of Oakland County in 2010.

MDOT spokesman Rob Morosi credited good weather, round the clock work and federal support for getting the bridge replaced swiftly.

“We went and look at every scenario to get this done as quickly as possible,” Morosi said. “We’re pretty darn proud of the work that was done.”

The state got federal approval to expedite the project and keep workers on site 24 hours a day. The bridge reopened just after 3 p.m. today.

MDOT plans a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. Monday on the northbound I-75 service drive at 9 Mile to celebrate the reopening.

Contact MATT HELMS: mhelms@freepress.com.

http://freep.com/article/20091211/NE...opens-at-I-75-

Stosh · December-12-09, 10:05 AM

MDOT plans a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. Monday on the northbound I-75 service drive at 9 Mile to celebrate the reopening

So all that work, bridge reopened, then they will CLOSE it again for a stupid ribbon cutting. Typical photo-op mentality. They all glad hand one another, then back to their usual crappy job.

**Fury13** · December-12-09, 10:55 AM

Originally Posted by Stosh

So all that work, bridge reopened, then they will CLOSE it again for a stupid ribbon cutting. Typical photo-op mentality. They all glad hand one another, then back to their usual crappy job.

Bitch, bitch, bitch. Of course they'll have a ribbon-cutting. That is standard operating procedure when a project like this is completed. And I see no problem in celebrating such an accomplishment and communicating that achievement to the public. Seven weeks is pretty fast to replace an entire bridge. By the way, the "photo-op" will take about 10 minutes out of your day, and then you can go back to YOUR crappy job.

Stosh · December-12-09, 11:37 AM

Originally Posted by Fury13

Bitch, bitch, bitch. Of course they'll have a ribbon-cutting. That is standard operating procedure when a project like this is completed. And I see no problem in celebrating such an accomplishment and communicating that achievement to the public. Seven weeks is pretty fast to replace an entire bridge. By the way, the "photo-op" will take about 10 minutes out of your day, and then you can go back to YOUR crappy job.

God damned right I'm bitching. These fools have nothing better to do during their day than to assemble [[1 hour) chit chat [[another hour) and cut the ribbon, [[10 mins. ) then go to lunch [[hour) then MAYBE back to work? Please.

And people around here wonder why we are going broke.

You assume that I don't know how these things happen. I've attended more than a few. It makes me wonder how much of these so called "jobs" that are in the public sector could easily be combined or eliminated.

And I don't have a crappy job to go to, unfortunately. Sorry to disappoint you.

**smogboy** · December-12-09, 12:03 PM

The article says they're having "a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. Monday on the northbound I-75 service drive at 9 Mile". Now pardon me here but where does it state that they're going to CLOSE the freeway or Nine Mile down to have this ceremony? Couldn't they have the ceremony on the shoulder or on the sidewalk area so we can ALL go back to our respective jobs??

Stosh · December-12-09, 12:09 PM

Originally Posted by smogboy

The article says they're having "a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. Monday on the northbound I-75 service drive at 9 Mile". Now pardon me here but where does it state that they're going to CLOSE the freeway or Nine Mile down to have this ceremony? Couldn't they have the ceremony on the shoulder or on the sidewalk area so we can ALL go back to our respective jobs??

I suppose that it would be a ribbon cutting to reopen the sidewalk, then. It's not productive. And just a photo-op for some political hacks to get their name and mug in the paper, or wherever. There's far too much of this kind of behavior.

**smogboy** · December-12-09, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by Stosh

I suppose that it would be a ribbon cutting to reopen the sidewalk, then. It's not productive. And just a photo-op for some political hacks to get their name and mug in the paper, or wherever. There's far too much of this kind of behavior.

Is is really about productivity or the ceremony here?

Now if these politicos were 40 hour work week, not an hour more, can't wait to punch out sort of dweebs, and this ceremony bit into that 40 hour work week, then I'd have an issue. Get them back to work! But if these politicians were die hard dedicated caring people [[and the article doesn't say who's attending), then cut them some slack and let them celebrate this accomplishment.

Let's not ditch ceremonies away for the sake of productivity now. Lord knows attending children's birthday parties, holiday parties, loved ones' funerals, graduations, baptisms, and life's other little benchmarks would hardly be considered "productive".

Stosh · December-12-09, 01:10 PM

Originally Posted by smogboy

Is is really about productivity or the ceremony here?

Now if these politicos were 40 hour work week, not an hour more, can't wait to punch out sort of dweebs, and this ceremony bit into that 40 hour work week, then I'd have an issue. Get them back to work! But if these politicians were die hard dedicated caring people [[and the article doesn't say who's attending), then cut them some slack and let them celebrate this accomplishment.

Let's not ditch ceremonies away for the sake of productivity now. Lord knows attending children's birthday parties, holiday parties, loved ones' funerals, graduations, baptisms, and life's other little benchmarks would hardly be considered "productive".

I don't see the difference. Dweebs? Boy, that's a classist statement if I ever heard one. This ceremony certainly cuts into their productive time, and to infer that there's a different standard to be held out just because some sucker wears a suit to work, is sick. Politicians, their staffers, assorted hangers on all attend these ceremonies. All on the clock. And the afterglow as well. On your dime.

And the above mentioned activities are usually not "paid" activities either, unless you work in civil service? Think about it. How much productivity is lost in government? Then think about what we are about to lose in services because these self same governmental entities are playing patty-cake on our time and money.

**smogboy** · December-12-09, 03:41 PM

Originally Posted by Stosh

I don't see the difference. Dweebs? Boy, that's a classist statement if I ever heard one. This ceremony certainly cuts into their productive time, and to infer that there's a different standard to be held out just because some sucker wears a suit to work, is sick. Politicians, their staffers, assorted hangers on all attend these ceremonies. All on the clock. And the afterglow as well. On your dime.

And the above mentioned activities are usually not "paid" activities either, unless you work in civil service? Think about it. How much productivity is lost in government? Then think about what we are about to lose in services because these self same governmental entities are playing patty-cake on our time and money.

When I called these people "dweebs" it was not meant to praise the people who are slackers. Understand the context. What standard about a person wearing a suit to work are you referring to?

As far as people having productive time, how much do you expect our civil servants to work? Is 40 hours a week enough? 50 hours a week? 60+ hours a week?? If these people are on salary [[no overtime obviously) and can get their jobs done, who are we to complain? And like you said, if these ceremonies are unpaid- it's technically on their dime.

How much is lost on productivity by us spent on debating this?

Stosh · December-12-09, 05:15 PM

Originally Posted by smogboy

When I called these people "dweebs" it was not meant to praise the people who are slackers. Understand the context. What standard about a person wearing a suit to work are you referring to?

As far as people having productive time, how much do you expect our civil servants to work? Is 40 hours a week enough? 50 hours a week? 60+ hours a week?? If these people are on salary [[no overtime obviously) and can get their jobs done, who are we to complain? And like you said, if these ceremonies are unpaid- it's technically on their dime.

How much is lost on productivity by us spent on debating this?

I don't expect to have them work more hours. You obviously enjoy defending their position. Whatever. The assumption that they are actually getting the job done is yours, not mine. Anybody can get a bridge done that fast if you pour money into it. An atta boy isn't needed.

**smogboy** · December-12-09, 06:22 PM

Originally Posted by Stosh

I don't expect to have them work more hours. You obviously enjoy defending their position. Whatever. The assumption that they are actually getting the job done is yours, not mine. Anybody can get a bridge done that fast if you pour money into it. An atta boy isn't needed.

And you obviously have a problem with people attending a ceremony after they're off the clock.

**smogboy** · December-12-09, 07:48 PM

Originally Posted by Stosh

Who said they were off the clock?

You're right... more than likely they're salaried workers so it doesn't matter how long they want to stay for this ceremony.

**jtf1972** · December-12-09, 07:59 PM

Will the guy that blew it up in the first place by driving like an a**hole get to cut the ribbon, then be given the key to the city of Hazel-tucky for creating construction jobs?

MichMatters · December-12-09, 09:31 PM

Way to single-handedly and totally derail a thread, Stosh, and with something so inane and silly, no less. What a miserable life you must have.

MichMatters · December-12-09, 09:47 PM

I wish I truly cared enough to have asked, but alas, I didn't. Sorry.

**Gistok** · December-12-09, 11:09 PM

I wish they would have a ribbon cutting of I-94/I-696 Freeway Interchange repairs.... opps... they'd have to fix that deathtrap of an interchange first. Already got 2 punctured tires there!

They rebuilt some of the bridges, thereby closing down some lanes... and then reopened the lanes without even fixing the potholes and horrible pavement first!

**smogboy** · December-13-09, 01:12 AM

Originally Posted by MichMatters

Way to single-handedly and totally derail a thread, Stosh, and with something so inane and silly, no less. What a miserable life you must have.

's okay there, MichMatters. Stosh probably spent more time here [[being productive... not) than the entire ribbon cutting ceremony will take on Monday.

**smogboy** · December-13-09, 04:41 PM

Originally Posted by Stosh

That's quite all right. Let them have their fun. I'll be looking forward to the imminent downsizing of government though. And then they can take their prodigious skill set elsewhere, like the private sector.

And BTW smogboy, I'd be willing to bet that I've been significantly more productive than you during the time that this minor distraction was being carried out. But, that doesn't matter to you, does it? Of course not.

Why would MY productivity matter to you? I don't work for the scorned government that you so despise. I can acknowledge people taking time out to celebrate life- something you seem to have issues with.

**d.mcc** · December-13-09, 05:29 PM

Originally Posted by Stosh

I don't expect to have them work more hours. You obviously enjoy defending their position. Whatever. The assumption that they are actually getting the job done is yours, not mine. Anybody can get a bridge done that fast if you pour money into it. An atta boy isn't needed.

What do you care? Seriously? You think they are collecting overtime for this? Chances are they are salaried and are exempt from overtime. And being a salaried worker myself, I know that if there is work to do after hitting 40 hours on a Wednesday, I still have to come in on Thursday and Friday and not get compensated for it. If they are politicians, chances are they work 60-70 hours a week anyway.

**Fury13** · December-13-09, 06:03 PM

Amazing how many people think that gov't workers don't do any actual work. Got news for you... many of them work just as hard as you do, at what they do.

Stosh · December-13-09, 06:41 PM

Sure they do. I never said they didn't. My only objection to this party is that it was unneeded.

**smogboy** · December-13-09, 08:55 PM

Originally Posted by Stosh

Sure they do. I never said they didn't. My only objection to this party is that it was unneeded.

Define one party that IS needed.

Stosh · December-13-09, 09:01 PM

Originally Posted by smogboy

Define one party that IS needed.

It's just useless to speak with someone that does not want to be reasonable.

On ignore you go. Ta-Ta smogboy.

**smogboy** · December-14-09, 03:29 AM

Oooo, I'm quaking in my boots now that I'm on Stosh's Ignore list.

But seriously my entire point of this is to elaborate that there are moments to celebrate. Is this Nine Mile/ I-75 overpass as grand or as epic as a baptism, a funeral, a birth or a birthday? Probably not in the grand scheme of things. People celebrate all sorts of events. If the government officials want to take a few moments out of their day, have some sort of gala event, that's their choice. As long as they're still performing their appointed duties and not using this event as some way to skip out on their jobs or duties.

Why anyone would have an issue over this is beyond me. I sincerely believe that part of our human experience IS to have ceremonies and mark events in our lives. How unfulfilling would life be if we didn't have events like graduations, baptisms, communions, birthday parties, retirement parties, somber moments like funerals, memorial services, and other occasions that define who we are?

And maybe that I'm on Stosh's ignore list, maybe he'll never understand or be convinced of the need for celebration or reflection in life.

Stosh · December-14-09, 07:24 AM

Originally Posted by smogboy

Oooo, I'm quaking in my boots now that I'm on Stosh's Ignore list.

But seriously my entire point of this is to elaborate that there are moments to celebrate. Is this Nine Mile/ I-75 overpass as grand or as epic as a baptism, a funeral, a birth or a birthday? Probably not in the grand scheme of things. People celebrate all sorts of events. If the government officials want to take a few moments out of their day, have some sort of gala event, that's their choice. As long as they're still performing their appointed duties and not using this event as some way to skip out on their jobs or duties.

Why anyone would have an issue over this is beyond me. I sincerely believe that part of our human experience IS to have ceremonies and mark events in our lives. How unfulfilling would life be if we didn't have events like graduations, baptisms, communions, birthday parties, retirement parties, somber moments like funerals, memorial services, and other occasions that define who we are?

And maybe that I'm on Stosh's ignore list, maybe he'll never understand or be convinced of the need for celebration or reflection in life.

Ha-Ha. I lied.

Your whole point is the same as mine. There are moments to celebrate, smoggy. This isn't one of them.
Anytime that you spend 12 million dollars instead of the 2 million it initially was estimated for, there's no reason to pat yourself on the back. Their whole premise of building a "bigger" bridge cost that much more? Please. And that accelerated schedule cost them that much more?

They did a fast and good job on the bridge. If it wasn't for that, the businesses would have suffered more in the area. That's the only thing they should be celebrating. I'm surprised that the anti-car - pro transit people here didn't have a fit about the expanded cost for the expanded bridge, but that's their myopia. If it doesn't involve a trolley car, they are not interested.

And try not to project your whiny emotional sop onto me. What's the matter? Someone didn't have a birthday party for you? Waaaah? Please.