YPSILANTI, MI - A bridge across the Huron River at the heart of Ypsilanti’s Depot Town sits on top of a shifting riverbed and has cracked beams, among other deteriorated features, leading inspectors to recommend replacement for several years running, according to three years of bridge safety reports.
On Tuesday, Oct. 19, city council took one of the first steps toward a new bridge — a costly proposition that could run more than $7 million, officials estimate — by unanimously authorizing a replacement study.
That study, which will cost the city $62,300, is one of the keys to unlocking potential federal and state dollars for a new bridge, as well as ensuring any new construction meets the city’s needs, according to city Project Manager Bonnie Wessler.
It’s a high priority that the bridge, built in 1984, be scheduled for replacement, according to the series of yearly inspection reports, the most recent dated Aug. 26, that Wessler shared with MLive/The Ann Arbor News.
The reports, written in technical language by a specialized civil engineer, say beams, railings, sidewalks and other parts of the the bridge are cracked and the concrete is deteriorating.
It’s the city’s responsibility to find funding to maintain and replace the bridge, a big-ticket item that will likely require state and federal assistance, which officials are pursuing.
But for many of those grants or cost-sharing arrangements, the city will need a detailed timeline and designs for the new bridge.
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That’s where the replacement study comes in. It will help keep track of the many “moving parts” and keep costs down while ensuring the new bridge will meet the city’s traffic and pedestrian needs, Wessler said.
OHM Advisors, a planning firm, will perform a topographic survey, identify any environmental impacts and prepare a high-level road-bridge alignment plan with a preliminary cost estimate for the replacement, according to city documents.
The study will also ensure the Tridge, a three-way foot bridge under the Cross Street bridge that makes up part of Washtenaw County’s Border-to-Border Trail, stays safe, Wessler said.
The report will be delivered to the city by June 30, 2022, according to OHM’s cost proposal.
“It’s no secret that most of Michigan’s bridges are actually in fair to poor condition,” Wessler said, noting the high costs associated with rehabbing the critical pieces of infrastructure.
The Cross Street bridge is far from unique, infrastructure watchdogs say.
The American Society of Civil Engineers gave the state’s bridges a “mediocre” C- grade in a 2018 report card, noting the number of bridges rated in poor condition will only continue to grow.
In Ypsilanti, inspectors have reduced the weight rating on the Cross Street bridge to prolong its life, and it should remain safe if those guidelines are followed, Wessler said.
“We’re optimistic about being able to replace this before we have to shut it down,” she said.
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