New bridge on I-94 in Detroit coming in July

Workers will be installing a new bridge on I-94 at Second Avenue in downtown Detroit […]

Workers will be installing a new bridge on I-94 at Second Avenue in downtown Detroit next month, with the bridge set to be installed by July 10. The new structure will replace the original bridge that was built in 1954 and torn down in 2020. 

Both directions of I-94 will need to be closed between I-75 and M-10 (Lodge Freeway) for seven days during the installation.

According to the Detroit Free Press, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is inviting the public to attend a virtual open house on June 16 on the construction, with a brief presentation on how the bridge slide will occur followed by a question-and-answer session.

The bridge is the first network tied arch in the state of Michigan. The bridge will be rolled into place from its staging area onto abutments on I-94 by Self-Propelled Modular Transport.

The new structure will be 245 feet long, 96.5 feet wide and 44.5 feet tall, weighing in at about 5 million pounds.

There will be one driving lane in each direction, accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists, LED architectural lighting and sustainable landscaping.

The network tied-arch bridge design does not have a center pier, which accommodates the new freeway design and eliminates the need to increase the grade on Second Avenue.

The bridge is being constructed off-site at the Wayne State University parking lot No. 22 between Second and Third avenues. The foundation and abutment walls are being built on the sides of the freeway.