Grosse Ile free bridge reopens
Evan James CarterGrosse Ile — The Parkway Bridge that connects Grosse Ile to the mainland reopened Thursday, the county said.
The bridge, closed for more than a week, re-opened at 3:30 p.m., said Whitney Lewis, Director of Communications and Community Outreach for Wayne County Department of Public Services.
There were four areas of concern requiring four beams.
"The repairs for what caused the closure have been completed."
The free bridge over the Trenton Channel closed Nov. 13 for emergency repairs, county and township officials said. The closure sent Grosse Ile residents scrambling to get to and from the island with only the toll bridge to handle vehicle traffic.
"The county’s bridge consultant identified deficiencies that resulted in the reduced load rating and provided specific designs for all repairs and parts needed to address the deficiencies," the county said in a news release Thursday. "The County Bridge Maintenance Unit began work on November 14 and performed all work in accordance with the consultant’s designs, restoring the bridge to a safe 26 ton load rating."
About 10 steel plates were being installed to support beams that were identified for repairs.
Grosse Ile Township Supervisor Brian Loftus said last week that township officials learned about the need for repairs on the afternoon of Nov. 13. He said the fixes involved "emergency repairs to at least the decking."
More: Free bridge on Grosse Ile closed for emergency repairs
Federal and state regulations require the bridge to be inspected every two years.
The free bridge is one of two that connect Grosse IIe to the mainland. The privately owned Grosse Ile Toll Bridge is on the northern end of the island.
Grosse Ile is an island township of about 10,000 residents in the Detroit River, with its own school district and downtown area.
Twitter: @EvanJamesCarter