Day 4 – Detroit to Cincinnati Met up with fellow road enthusiast Dan Garnell the night before and discussed various topics around Michigan and the Great Lakes. One such item was the tanker fire that destroyed the 9 Mile Road overpass along Interstate 75. Dan told us that the damaged bridge was removed but little progress was made since the demolition on its replacement. The topic is discussed on the AARoads Forum.
The original Nine Mile Road bridge was rebuilt in 2008. Visible work on Interstate 75 at the overpass involves building new bridge supports.
A number of older state-named signs are still placed along the various freeway frontage roads in Detroit. The dated signs are not as prevalent as you would think, especially considering the derelict nature of the many surrounding neighborhoods in the city. U.S. 12 represents the long survivor of five U.S. highways that once traveled through downtown Detroit. The highway follows Michigan Avenue eastward from Dearborn to its current end at Cass Avenue within the central business district. Our investigation of the end however revealed remnant signage beyond the Cass Avenue intersection through to Griswold Street, three blocks to the east. No end sign is posted.
A final eastbound U.S. 12 reassurance marker resides along Michigan Avenue between Washington Boulevard and Shelby Streets. An additional shield assembly was posted one block further east, but it was missing its U.S. 12 marker. Both assemblies and a companion westbound placard are posted east of the 2005 truncated end at Cass Avenue.
Michigan 85 ends assembly posted at the intersection of Fort and Griswold Streets in downtown Detroit.
M-85 constitutes a 22.15-mile route between Interstate 75 Exit 28 and central Detroit. M-85 overtook a portion of M-3 along Fort Street between Clark and Griswold Streets in 2001 when the city of Detroit assumed control of the former state routes in the Campus Martius area.
A whole host of abandoned buildings rise or front the freeway rights of way through Detroit. This large structure looms above the Exit 50 off-ramp to Grand River Avenue at 2nd Avenue and Henry Street.
A short distance west of Exit 50, Interstate 75 enters the Gateway Project area with Interstate 96 and the Ambassador Bridge. As of November 2009, the project is 90% complete, with the remaining portion to be completed under the direction of the Detroit Bridge Company. A jurisdictional dispute between MDOT and the bridge company has resulted in a lengthy lawsuit and unfinished connections between the suspension bridge into Windsor Ontario from Interstates 75 & 96. Direct ramps are to be constructed that in effect extend Interstate 96 directly to the Ambassador Bridge. MDOT’s portions are complete; the bridge company’s have yet to begin. More on the discussion can be found on the AARoads Forum.
Within the Gateway Project area along Interstate 75 north at the split with Interstate 96 west. Note the partially constructed bridge to the right and the sign bridge directing nonexistent traffic onto Interstate 75 south and Interstate 96 west. This span awaits completion of the Detroit International Bridge Company’s portion of the Gateway Project…
Additional work is underway involving Interstate 696 as part of a $67-million bridge and pavement rehabilitation project. Repairs to 50 overpasses along the northern bypass are underway and work is expected to continue through 2010. More details can be found on the MDOT web site http://www.michigan.gov/mdot/0,1607,7-151-9621_11008_52742—,00.html. Work next year will focus on upgrading the eastern terminal interchange of Interstate 696 at I-94 to replace pavement, repair bridges, and add freeway lighting.
Three cut and cover tunnels are present along Interstate 696 through the city of Oak Park. This image looks at the second in the series near the Greenfield Road diamond interchange.
Another ARRA project underway is deck replacements on 11 bridges over Interstate 96 within Detroit. Included is the removal of the abandoned railroad overpasses at the Local/Express split within the Davison Avenue (Exit 186B) directional interchange.
Continuing south to Toledo, we checked out the new Glass City Skyway and redrove Interstates 280 and 475 in their entirety. An ARRA project underway in Toledo includes a bridge deck overlay along Interstate 75 in both directions between Exits 200 and 198. Work reduces the freeway to four overall lanes and is expected to continue through October 2010. Another area project is the interchange reconstruction between Interstate 475 and Salisbury Road west and Dussel Drive east (Exit 6). Work here involves widening the east-west arterial as well and is expected to last until November 2011.
New Clearview signage for Exit 6 along Interstate 475 & U.S. 23 north.
Drivers on Interstate 475 north at Interstate 75 will also notice work ongoing with the Auburn Avenue bridge replacement. The original span was removed and new concrete pier supports are rising to the south of the freeway. This project is associated with similar replacements at Douglas Road and Central Avenue done in preparation for an eventual widening of Interstates 75 and 475. This initial bridge work will continue to October 2010. Future Interstate 475 work is discussed at ODOT’s The Future I-475.
Southbound along the Veteran’s Glass City Skyway on Interstate 280 over the Maumee River. The cable-stayed bridge replaced the Craig Memorial Bridge, a draw span still in use below the Skyway, when it opened June 24, 2007.
The Ohio Turnpike began accepting EZPass customers on its 241-mile course in October. Pictured here is the toll plaza connecting Interstate 280 and Ohio 420 with Interstates 80 & 90 near Toledo. Note the addition of EZPass only lanes. Drivers using these lanes must still come to a complete stop however.
Heading south toward Dayton, Interstate 75’s three business loops are unsigned from the freeway mainline. Tim Reichard has their paths covered over at his Highway Browser for those who want to know. Unfortunately we did not consult this list, so we passed them by unknowingly… Interstate 75 expands to six lanes from Exit 74 southward into Dayton. Construction is complete involving the upgrade of the junction with Interstate 70, also dubbed the Freedom Veterans Crossroads. A new flyover was added from Interstate 75 north to Interstate 70 west to go along with a second directional ramp from Interstate 70 west to I-75 south as well. These movements replaced loop ramps. Also associated with the I-70/75 reconstruction http://www.mvrpc.org/70-75/ was the building of a new diamond interchange with Benchwood Road west / Wyse Road east (Exit 59). This exit replaced the folded diamond interchange with Little York Road. Bridge supports and retaining walls feature a soaring airplane motif.
Began in Spring 2005, the $145 million project to upgrade Interstates 70 & 75 interchange was completed this month.
Once within the city of Dayton, Interstate 75 drivers enter another major construction project. Entitled the “Downtown Dayton Sub-Corridor” http://www.mvrpc.org/subCorr/, the three-phase project involves widening, the eliminating of left entrance and exit ramps, improving the curvature of the roadway, ultimately leading to the eventual construction of a new interchange at downtown to replace multiple off-ramps. Work began in 2007, with Phase 2 slated to begin in 2012.
Phase 1A of the Dayton Sub-Corridor project focuses on interchange upgrades with Ohio 4 and Main Street / Grand Avenue. Pictured here is work at the Exit 55 off-ramp to Ohio 4 east and Webster Street south to Fifth Third Field.
Additional Sources:
- Veterans’ Glass City Skyway @ Wikipedia.org.
- Weekly construction updates from ODOT (WTVG).
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/feature?section=resources&id=6731462 - I-70 / 75 Interchange (ODOT).
http://www.dot.state.oh.us/districts/D07/Projects/Pages/I7075Interchange.aspx
Out West we have ghost towns that have seen better days. Downtown Detroit looks like a “ghost city”. Is it really as bad as it loks here? I haven’t been to Detroit since the 60’s.