March 3, 2011 - 4:41pm
Thoughts from the Daily: East Stadium Boulevard bridge will get an overhaul
BY RACHEL VAN GILDER
If you've ever driven over the East Stadium Boulevard bridge, you know the nerve-wracking experience of driving on an unsafe overpass. For years, the East Stadium Boulevard bridge, which passes over South State Street, has been in need of repair. Now, following the announcement of federal funds allocated to fix the overpass, Ann Arbor residents can breathe a sigh of relief.
According to a Oct. 19 Daily article, Ann Arbor recently received $14 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation to rebuild two city bridges in need of repair. The total cost to fix both bridges is projected to be $23 million. Ann Arbor Mayor John Hieftje and U.S. Congressman John Dingell were on hand on Oct. 18 to announce the promise of DOT funds.
The only question is this: Why did it take so long for repairs to get this kind of funding? The East Stadium Boulevard bridge has been a hazard for years. According to the Daily article, the Michigan Department of Transportation (more commonly known as MDOT) has even stated that it's been aware of the bridge’s condition, but hasn’t gotten around to repairing it. And the Daily has been saying it for quite some time. Ann Arbor's roads are also notoriously bad — the third worst in the state in 2009, according to the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation
Association.
By rights, some of the federal stimulus money should have been allocated to fix it. It's one thing to be picky about pot holes, which are annoying but rarely lead to serious bodily harm. But bridges must be as safe as possible. Maintaining bridges should always be at the top of a city government's priorities.
