The city of Ann Arbor is getting ready to replace a pedestrian bridge with a temporary pedestrian bridge, which might become the model for a new permanent pedestrian bridge. Confused? Don't worry, this actually does make sense.
The heavy rains from this last summer washed away the abutments of the pedestrian bridge along the Ann Arbor-Saline bridge over Mallett’s Creek on the city's west side just north of Northbrook Drive. The city is looking to replace the 8-foot-wide, 22-foot-long original bridge with a 6-foot-wide, 50-foot long (it has to be longer now because of erosion) temporary bridge.
"It's a heavily used commuter route for pedestrians and bicyclists," says Nichole Woodward, utilities engineer for the city of Ann Arbor.
The city is renting the temporary bridge (the University of Michigan has also rented temporary bridges, according to Woodward) for $10,000 for 13 weeks. In that time city staff are expected to decide whether to rebuild the original bridge, build a sidewalk along the Ann Arbor-Saline Road or buy a bigger temporary bridge for $24,000 and make it the permanent bridge.
"It will boil down to a matter of cost," Woodward says.
Source: Nichole Woodward, utilities engineer for the city of Ann Arbor
Writer: Jon Zemke
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