Abstract
The ordinary outward appearance of the 9 Mile Road Bridge over I-75 north of Detroit, Michigan, belies the extraordinary story behind its demise and successful reconstruction. After a tanker truck carrying 13,000 gallons of fuel exploded under the bridge, the resulting heat from the explosion collapsed the steel superstructure, forcing MDOT to close I-75 and 9 Mile Road, both of which are heavily traveled corridors. MDOT quickly executed a contract to clean up the debris, temporarily patch the melted freeway pavement, and restore I-75 to traffic. MDOT then focused on reconstructing the overpass using a design-build delivery method. Just 51 days after awarding the project, the design-build team opened the new bridge to traffic.
Session Number
15
Session Title
Emergency REsponse to a Bridge Collapse: A Case Study
Track Title
Bridges
Date of Version
March 2014
Recommended Citation
Swanson, Lori and Harrison, Jeremy, "Emergency Response to Bridge Collapse: A Case Study" (2014). Purdue Road School. 32.
https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/roadschool/2014/presentations/32
Start Date
3-11-2014 12:00 AM
Emergency Response to Bridge Collapse: A Case Study
The ordinary outward appearance of the 9 Mile Road Bridge over I-75 north of Detroit, Michigan, belies the extraordinary story behind its demise and successful reconstruction. After a tanker truck carrying 13,000 gallons of fuel exploded under the bridge, the resulting heat from the explosion collapsed the steel superstructure, forcing MDOT to close I-75 and 9 Mile Road, both of which are heavily traveled corridors. MDOT quickly executed a contract to clean up the debris, temporarily patch the melted freeway pavement, and restore I-75 to traffic. MDOT then focused on reconstructing the overpass using a design-build delivery method. Just 51 days after awarding the project, the design-build team opened the new bridge to traffic.
