From yesterday's Detroit News: Nine Mile bridge is longer
MDOT extends span before I-75's anticipated widening..."The longer bridge would be needed whenever the freeway is widened from Eight Mile to M-59," [MDOT spokesman Rob Morosi] said. "It's fiscally more responsible to put in a larger bridge now rather than coming back to do it years from now."
I don't have a horse in this race. It just seemed relevant to the discussion.