DETROIT – A stretch of I-94 in Detroit will reopen on Tuesday after a multi-day closure for work on the newly constructed Second Avenue bridge.
MDOT says the freeway will reopen in Detroit on Tuesday at 4 a.m. after five days of work.
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Upon reopening the freeway, crews will keep the left lane closed on eastbound I-94 from I-96 to M-10 (Lodge Freeway) for ongoing bridge work at Grand River Avenue and the M-10 interchange. The single lane closure, and the ramp closures at the I-94/I-96 interchange, are expected to be removed by the end of October.
Post-tensioning was required on the new Second Avenue structure to reinforce the cables that support the bridge’s driving surface for vehicular traffic, nonmotorized components, and barrier walls.
Watch: Time-lapse video shows Second Avenue Bridge construction over I-94 in Detroit
Michigan’s first network-tied arch bridge
The new Second Avenue structure is the first network-tied arch bridge built in Michigan.
The Second Avenue Bridge was originally built in 1954 and has never been replaced.
Network refers to the cables that are crossed from the top of the arch to the bottom of the driving surface on both sides of the structure. The design makes it so a center pier isn’t necessary, which will accommodate the future I-94/M-10 interchange.
The skeleton of the bridge was built off-site at the Wayne State University Palmer parking lot. While the skeleton was built, crews worked on-site building the bridge foundation and abutment walls along the I-94 freeway.
Crews will use self-propelled modular transporters (SPMTs) to move the skeleton of the bridge across the freeway. The skeleton will be secured into the new bridge supports on each side of I-94. The skeleton weighs 1,100 tons.
After the bridge has been moved, a new driving surface will be built on the skeleton of the bridge. There will be additional closures before the bridge opens to traffic.
The Second Avenue Bridge is expected to reopen to traffic this fall. Click here to learn more.
View: Live traffic map