Is Fort St. Rouge River bridge open?

**kryptonite** · June-23-10, 09:47 AM

I was wondering if it's possible to take Oakwood to Fort St. into downtown. I will be taking some people to Ft. Wayne and they would like to stop at Gonella's for some excellent sub sandwiches and a stop at the Bridge Cafe for some brewskis. But I heard that the Fort St. drawbridge is going to be closed for demolition???

**Savoyard** · June-23-10, 10:37 AM

It's not the drawbridge on Fort St. that's being demolished. It's the long bridge over the railroad tracks a little farther south of the drawbridge. That whole area is part of the detour around the long bridge, but you should be able to get to Gonella's and the Bridge Cafe. Just won't be easy.

**DetroitPlanner** · June-23-10, 10:50 AM

Due to budget issues, MDOT will not be redoing the Fort Street Bridge for some time. It was orginally planned to be done this summer, but it was put on an indefinite hold. If you want a new one, I would suggest calling your reps in Lansing and asking for a gas-tax increase. This shortfall will also impact any transit improvements that people want in the State; making them less feasible.

**Savoyard** · June-23-10, 11:21 AM

Sorry ... But the bridge is definitely being worked on. I take [[or used to take) Fort St. home and it's been a major pain since they blocked access. Local traffic only. Supposed to remain this way until next July!

**PlymouthRes** · June-23-10, 11:26 AM

Not to be adversarial or anything, but the stretch of road that you are talking about [[on both sides and over) the bridge is still open. It is the way that I take from 94/Oakwood to the Fort. The bridge is narrowed to one lane each way, but it is definately open as of Monday night.

Your main obstacle would be going from Oakwood at Dix to Oakwood at Schafer. The intersection is all torn up, with no weastbound traffic allowed. You should therefore take Greeenfield to Mellon, Mellon to Miller and Miller back to Fort/Oakwood. this should get you around the closed intersection.

Hope this helps.

**kryptonite** · June-23-10, 11:40 AM

Thanks Plymouthres, I usually take Oakwood from Southfield to Fort St. when I am going to the Delray area. Since I don't know the east Dearborn street layout, I guess I will avoid westbound Oakwood altogether and use a different route. On our way to Ft. Wayne we all like stopping at Gonella's, so at least that sounds like it works out still.

**PlymouthRes** · June-23-10, 11:44 AM

Come to thin of it, you could also just take Fort to Oakwood as that would get you around the mess and still take you right past Gonella's. When are you going down to the Fort?

**kryptonite** · June-23-10, 12:10 PM

Geez, not until the Civil War days or maybe this coming Saturday. Gonella's is a MUST if I'm in that area. Mmmm...

Bearinabox · June-23-10, 12:19 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

Due to budget issues, MDOT will not be redoing the Fort Street Bridge for some time. It was orginally planned to be done this summer, but it was put on an indefinite hold. If you want a new one, I would suggest calling your reps in Lansing and asking for a gas-tax increase. This shortfall will also impact any transit improvements that people want in the State; making them less feasible.

So the bridge over the railroad tracks is being demolished and not replaced? As in, Fort St. between Oakwood and Schaefer is going to be a dead-end for the foreseeable future? If true, that is just about the stupidest fucking thing I have ever heard in my life.

**dnvn522** · June-23-10, 04:07 PM

Fort St from Schaefer to Oakwood [[including the I-75 ramps) is being reconstructed. The bridge over the RR is being replaced [[yes, a new one will being going back, I think Detroitplanner was referring to the drawbridge) at the same time. The bridge over Pleasant St. is also being totally replaced. The bridge over Sanders St is being removed and NOT replaced. The everything is supposed to be reopened to all lanes of traffic by November 2011. All additional work is supposed to be completed by July 2012.

The drawbridge is currently scheduled for 2013 replacement.

Bearinabox · June-23-10, 04:13 PM

Originally Posted by dnvn522

Fort St from Schaefer to Oakwood [[including the I-75 ramps) is being reconstructed. The bridge over the RR is being replaced [[yes, a new one will being going back, I think Detroitplanner was referring to the drawbridge) at the same time. The bridge over Pleasant St. is also being totally replaced. The bridge over Sanders St is being removed and NOT replaced. The everything is supposed to be reopened to all lanes of traffic by November 2011. All additional work is supposed to be completed by July 2012.

The drawbridge is currently scheduled for 2013 replacement.

Thanks for the clarification, but not sure what you mean by "the bridge over Sanders St. is being removed and not replaced." Isn't it all the same bridge?

**dnvn522** · June-24-10, 07:06 AM

When driving Fort it all looks like one bridge because the retaining walls tie into the bridge railings and look continuous. There are actually three separate bridges there: Pleasant/NS RR/Sanders. The rest is just fill material between retaining walls.

From the looks of things...no one has been able to drive Sanders under Fort for some time anyway!
http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=r1d...94&lvl=2&sty=b

**DetroitPlanner** · June-24-10, 07:46 AM

Originally Posted by dnvn522

I think Detroitplanner was referring to the drawbridge) at the same time. The bridge over Pleasant St. is also being totally replaced. The bridge over Sanders St is being removed and NOT replaced. The everything is supposed to be reopened to all lanes of traffic by November 2011. All additional work is supposed to be completed by July 2012.

YOu are correct. The title of the thread is Fort over Rouge, not Fort over Sanders/Pleasant/RR tracks!

**Downriviera** · June-24-10, 08:52 AM

Oakwood eastbound is closed at Schafer, the detour is pretty easy, Dix to Schafer turn right, then left turn onto Oakwood. I've been through there a lot lately, not too bad. A little heavy traffic at peak times, but the detour is clearly marked and easy to follow. West bound Oakwood is open all the way through. Gonellas sub and fresh booze at Bridge cafe, now thats livin'.

**kryptonite** · June-24-10, 09:01 AM

Originally Posted by Downriviera

Gonellas sub and fresh booze at Bridge cafe, now thats livin'.

And people say life is not good in Detroit, I beg to differ - how many cities have a great dive bar next to a drawbridge?

**48217** · June-24-10, 09:18 AM

The bridge between Oakwood Schaffer [[over RR tracks) is the Fort st. viaduct. The water bridge at Fort and Oakwood, Fort st. bridge and the Rouge River bridge is I75 over the Rouge River and RR tracks. That is how Locals refer to them.

**Rocko** · July-02-10, 10:33 PM

Ye olde Fort Street draw is still open for business, unless you're a semi weighing over 20 tons...then you get to take the Dix Avenue detour. The bridge has barrels and narrowed lanes to help keep the weight on the leaves to a minimum as the foundations are slowly sinking into the mush below. Till then, the bridge still opens for commercial vessel traffic, and the operator may even sound a signal to the approaching vessel using the last Leslie signal horn [[same as found on early EMD diesels from the 40s and 50s).

Once they re-do the Fort St. viaduct over Pleasant and the Norfolk Southern, it will make more sense to re-align the Fort Bridge to the Fort alignment on the west approach, instead of the Oakwood alignment. Just don't make it harder for me to get my Gonella's!!

**Downriviera** · July-03-10, 11:30 PM

Maybe an urban myth, but my dad told me a story of a couple that was at the Crossroads bar at Oakwood and Dix having a few drinks many years ago. They left the bar that night and were never seen again. The story is their car went off the road at the Fort Street drawbridge and into the Rouge, sinking in the muck.

**Lowell** · July-04-10, 12:22 AM

Great tour Kryptonite. A swing through downtown Delray and a jaunt out to the tip of Fordson Island to watch an ore boat pass through the Dix Street drawbridge would top it off!.

Downriviera, that might be legend, but it sounds quite believable. Advances in underground 'x-ray' technologies are sure to unlock some great stories and treasures in the not-so-distant future.

**1KielsonDrive** · July-05-10, 02:31 PM

Originally Posted by Lowell

Great tour Kryptonite. A swing through downtown Delray and a jaunt out to the tip of Fordson Island to watch an ore boat pass through the Dix Street drawbridge would top it off!.

Downriviera, that might be legend, but it sounds quite believable. Advances in underground 'x-ray' technologies are sure to unlock some great stories and treasures in the not-so-distant future.

A few years back, I attempted to purchase a building fronting on Denmark Street, backing on the Rouge River, near the Fort drawbridge and Gaelic Towing. It was the equivalent of a 'Super Fund' site, if not officially listed as such. The Environmental Law firm I consulted with suggested it wasn't a good idea to buy and live in the space until funds for a major clean-up were acquired and the clean-up finalized. That might take many years, though I'd completed the EP1A and most of the EP2A research. In other words, I would've needed deep pockets and much time. The main reason I mention this is because I'd been in the building many times over the years. I'd walked out on the roof deck to the water line and carried on conversations with deck hands on ships passing up to the Rouge and down to the Detroit River. The building had a great room with overhead crane and doors opening to the river, as well as office space. Might've become a great 'art space' as well as a cool loft with intimate connection to the river and ships. I'm still disappointed I wasn't able to acquire it. I visit it often by road and river.

**lpg** · July-05-10, 07:41 PM

Originally Posted by 1KielsonDrive

A few years back, I attempted to purchase a building fronting on Denmark Street, backing on the Rouge River, near the Fort drawbridge and Gaelic Towing. It was the equivalent of a 'Super Fund' site, if not officially listed as such. The Environmental Law firm I consulted with suggested it wasn't a good idea to buy and live in the space until funds for a major clean-up were acquired and the clean-up finalized. That might take many years, though I'd completed the EP1A and most of the EP2A research. In other words, I would've needed deep pockets and much time. The main reason I mention this is because I'd been in the building many times over the years. I'd walked out on the roof deck to the water line and carried on conversations with deck hands on ships passing up to the Rouge and down to the Detroit River. The building had a great room with overhead crane and doors opening to the river, as well as office space. Might've become a great 'art space' as well as a cool loft with intimate connection to the river and ships. I'm still disappointed I wasn't able to acquire it. I visit it often by road and river.

I used to know a family that lived on the corner of Luther and Denmark. Didn't Sabadash and Sabadash have a yard off Denmark ? They had those 2 orange lions on each side of the gate ?

**1KielsonDrive** · July-06-10, 01:36 AM

Originally Posted by lpg

I used to know a family that lived on the corner of Luther and Denmark. Didn't Sabadash and Sabadash have a yard off Denmark ? They had those 2 orange lions on each side of the gate ?

Whoa, what a memory. I remember the name. Gotta think about this one. Sabadash & Sabadash. They didn't own the building I tried to purchase. At least their name didn't come up in any of the records my law firm and I researched. But they were a long-standing, old company in Detroit. Gotta find out more and jolt my memory. I think they were a heavy equipment company. Sales and leasing. Cranes, draglines, dozers, etc.

**lpg** · July-06-10, 01:28 PM

Originally Posted by 1KielsonDrive

Whoa, what a memory. I remember the name. Gotta think about this one. Sabadash & Sabadash. They didn't own the building I tried to purchase. At least their name didn't come up in any of the records my law firm and I researched. But they were a long-standing, old company in Detroit. Gotta find out more and jolt my memory. I think they were a heavy equipment company. Sales and leasing. Cranes, draglines, dozers, etc.

They also had a yard with the same lions on Outer Drive, east of Fort in Lincoln Park. Later they were on Eureka, east of Middlebelt in Taylor, same lions, close to Block's.