Photos
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The Interchange as seen from eastbound I-94 The interchange is scheduled for major rebuilding in 2016, but three spans are so badly deteriorated that they must be replaced soon. Photo taken by J.R. Manning in November 2009 |
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Spaghetti Junction Top: Northbound US-45/I-894 to westbound I-94. ("C" on the map.)
Middle: Southbound US-45 to Southbound US-45/I-894. Photo taken by J.R. Manning in November 2009 |
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Northbound US-45, West Face This is one of the three spans to be replaced. It is shown as "A" on the map. Note the deterioration of the concrete and rust from the rebar.
UPDATE: This bridge was closed on March 26, 2010 by the Wisconsin DOT for fear the bridge would collapse under the load of an overweight truck. Photo taken by J.R. Manning in November 2009 |
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Northbound US-45, East Face Another view of one span to be replaced.
It is very difficult to get good photos of freeway interchanges, short of parking on the freeway (illegal in most locations) and taking one's life in one's own hands to wander around, shooting bridges with cars and trucks wizzing by at high speeds. I was fortunate enough to be able to take this series of photos from public lands. (Okay, I admit it, some were taken through the windshield.) Photo taken by J.R. Manning in November 2009 |
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Northbound US-45 Detail Note the deterioration of the concrete and rust from the rebar. Photo taken by J.R. Manning in November 2009 |
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Northbound US-45, North Abutment Note the deterioration of the concrete and rust from the rebar. Photo taken by J.R. Manning in November 2009 |
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Ramp to be replaced This ramp, that carries southbound US-45 traffic to eastbound I-94 is the third span scheduled to be replaced. It is shown as "B" on the map. Photo taken by J.R. Manning in November 2009 |
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Ramp to be replaced This is the west face of the ramp that carries northbound I-894/US-45 traffic to westbound I-94. Photo taken by J.R. Manning in November 2009 |
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Ramp "C" Detail Note the deterioration of the concrete and rust stains from the rebar. Photo taken by J.R. Manning in November 2009 |
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Weight Restrictions Weight restrictions were imposed on the interchange in 2009. Truck traffic is rerouted, shown on the orange sign on the right. Photo taken by J.R. Manning in November 2009 |
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Site Map of Spans to Be Replaced A: Northbound I-894/US-45 to US-45. It is comprised of 3 spans, total length 226.4 feet, 28.9 feet wide, comprised of continuous concrete box girders, built in 1963.
B: This ramp carries southbound US-45 traffic to eastbound I-94. It is composed of 4 spans, total length 275.3 feet, 24 feet in width, continuous concrete box girders, built in 1963. C: Ramp carries I-894/US-45 traffic to WB I-94. It is comprised of 3 spans, total length 242.1 feet, 24 feet wide, comprised of continuous concrete box girders, built in 1963. Annotations added November 2009 |
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SB US-45 to EB I-94 The new bridge is on the top of the photo. Destruction of the old bridge began right away, as you can see from this photo. Photo taken by J.R. Manning in May 2010 |
Emergency Rebuilding of Three Zoo Interchange Bridges Required
Written by J.R. ManningThe Wisconsin DOT announced, in mid-November of 2009, an aggressive plan to replace three seriously deteriorating bridges, located in Wisconsin's busiest freeway interchange, by Memorial Day, 2010. Plans are to use building techniques that replace each bridge over a weekend, to minimize traffic impact.
The interchange, built in 1963, carries upwards of 350,000 vehicles per day. During the summer of 2009, WisDOT detoured large trucks around the interchange because of severe weight limits that were implemented. The interchange, located in western Milwaukee County, carries I-94, I-894 and US 45.
In a press release, Wisconsin DOT said, "Thorough investigations of the bridges conducted over the past three months show significant deterioration that prompted WisDOT to move forward immediately with plans to build new structures at the three locations."
Requests for proposals are out for ways to accomplish this monumental task. One plan calls for building the bridges at another location and swaping new for old over a weekend.
As you might guess, the politcal slings and arrows started flying around hot and heavy since this announcement was made. Without getting into the political fray and finger-pointing, the characters include Governor Jim Doyle, who is not running for re-election in 2010. Two candidates for the governor's chair are from the Milwaukee area, the Mayor of Milwaukee and the Milwaukee County Executive. Each has, as you might expect, differing views of the issue. The Zoo Interchange flap is already appearing to be a major issue in the 2010 gubernatorial campaign.
There are three major freeway interchanges in Milwaukee County, the Marquette Interchange is downtown, the Mitchell Interchange is on the south side and the Zoo Interchange is on the west side. Three major highway projects were identified in the early part of this decade to rebuild the freeway system in Milwaukee County, as well as the I-94 corridor between Milwaukee and the Illinois state line. The Marquette Interchange was determined to be the most pressing need, followed by the Zoo Interchange, followed by the rebuild of the north-south I-94 corridor to the state line.
The Marquette Interchange was rebuilt between 2004 and 2008 at a cost of $800 million. When the project started, the political wrangling over the Zoo Interchange and the I-94 rebuild started. I-94 won, the project is underway as of this writing. The Zoo rebuild was pushed back to 2016, estimated to be a $2.3 billion project.
Meanwhile, the deterioration of three Zoo Interchange bridges is significant enough for the emergency rebuild of the spans. Inspections revealed severe cracking in concrete with subsequent rusting of steel beams and rebar, and concrete has been falling off the bridges. Further reports tell us the emergency replacements, with a budget of $12 to $22 million, will themselves be replaced during the rebuild in 2016.
Inspired by the work on the San Francisco Bay Bridge, where a span was built adjacent to the extant span, then moved into place over a weekend, the Wisconsin DOT decided such a technique would be best to replace the weakened bridges. The concept of building a span beside the original, then moving the replacement span into place with cranes, has been implemented in Oregon and Utah but never in Wisconsin. DeWayne Johnson of WisDOT says the technique will work. "It has worked elsewhere, it will work here."
Taxpayers, meanwhile, will be expected to foot the bill for up to $22 million to replace the three bridges, only to pay to have them replaced again during the 2016 interchange rebuild. That fact was not missed by State Senator Ted Kanavas (R-Brookfield). "Now, we're going to have to pay twice for bridging and we're going to rip these things out in five to seven years, when we get started on the Zoo [Interchange]."
According to WisDOT, the bridges to be replaced include a northbound span, which carries US 45 from I-894 across I-94 and carries over 42,000 vehicles per day. The othe two spans include the ramp that carries southbound US 45 traffic to I-94 eastbound, used by over 26,000 vehicles per day and the ramp that carries northbound I-894 traffic to westbound I-94. That bridge carries over 25,000 vehicles per day. The Zoo Interchange is the busiest in Wisconsin.
More updates will be posted as this story unfolds.
Facts
- Overview
- Interchange of I-94/I-894/US 45
- Location
- Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
- Status
- Open to traffic
- Future prospects
- Major rebuild planned circa 2016; emergency replacement of three bridges scheduled for 2009-2010.
- History
- Built 1963
- Approximate latitude, longitude
- +43.02740, -88.03475 (decimal degrees)
43°01'39" N, 88°02'05" W (degrees°minutes'seconds") - Approximate UTM coordinates
- 16/415696/4764376 (zone/easting/northing)
- USGS topographic map
- Wauwatosa
- Inventory number
- BH 43654 (Bridgehunter.com ID)
Update Log
- May 23, 2010: New Street View added by Nick Brnot
- May 8, 2010: New photo from J.R. Manning
- March 26, 2010: Updated by J.R. Manning: Added satellite image
- November 21, 2009: Essay added by J.R. Manning
Sources
- J.R. Manning - thekitchenguy [at] sbcglobal [dot] net
- Nick Brnot
Comments
The three suspect bridges in the Zoo Interchange have been replaced. The new bridges are on line and the old bridges are being removed this weekend.
Here is what was left of the southbound US 45 to eastbound I-94 bridge earlier this week. If you ever wondered what a concrete box beam was, this photo should clear up the mystery for you.
I agree. The concrete would last a LOT longer than it does if we didn't dump salt on our roads. There are already alternatives to salt (chemicals in beets for example) that are friendly to your car, the bridges, and the environment. The only reason we don't use them is probably cost, and perhaps back door lobbying by the auto industry. After all, salt reduces the life of cars. Stop using salt, people won't have to buy new cars as often.
The reason all these bridges deteriorate so quickly can be blamed mostly on one thing: Road Salt. If we were smart, the next generation of bridges should have geothermal heat systems built into them so they last longer. Road salt destroys private property (cars) and public property (infrastructure) Anyone ever heard of SNOW TIRES! We dont need salt!
Craig, along those same lines, Charles Whitney designed bridges that were inspired by, and modeled after, English Renaissance bridges. The bridges were mostly built in the 1930s out of (drum roll, please) concrete.
http://bridgehunter.com/category/builder/charles-s-whitney/
The model bridges, built in the 15th and 16th centuries, are still standing and still in use. Whitney's bridges, built in the 1930s, are in need of major rebuilding. The Range Line Road Bridge http://bridgehunter.com/wi/milwaukee/P40070000000000/ shows a Sufficiency Rating of 67.5 and is listed as structurally deficient.
I do hope the Range Line Road Bridge is restored and not just replaced with a UCEB as it is a beautiful structure that deserves to be preserved for future generations.
Mostly irony. Reinforced concrete was first patented in 1867 (according to the internet). This structure was constructed nearly one hundred years after that and now it must be replaced after forty seven years of use. It seems to me that the Romans used various forms of un-reinforced concrete more then a thousand years ago and many of those structures, including some viaducts and bridges are still standing. Progress?