There have been three bridges to Belle Isle, and between them, they’ve carried countless numbers of Detroiters to an island paradise in the middle of the Detroit River.
Work on the first span to the island began in 1887. The steel-and-wood structure opened June 25, 1889, and cost $295,000. It was a swing bridge, with a section that opened up parallel to the river in order to let boats pass. In 1915, however, a steel cart used for heating tar had tipped and started a fire. The bridge burned almost completely.
The permanent, current bridge—named for World War II hero Gen. Douglas A. MacArthur—opened in 1923. Regular maintenance of the bridge has been a continuous effort over its 100 years in operation.
A $11.5-million reconstruction of the bridge began in February 1984, the first major maintenance in its lifetime. It was rededicated in 1986. A crumbling underpass on East Grand Boulevard under Jefferson Avenue that had opened in 1921 was removed as part of the project.
The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has collaborated with the engineering firm OHM Advisors to develop an infrastructure construction project schedule to preserve the structure’s condition. “Our team provided important construction engineering services throughout the project, which focused on repairs to the concrete bridge deck and sidewalk surfaces, expansion joint replacement, approach pavement replacement, and deck and sidewalk epoxy overlay application to protect the concrete’s integrity,” OHM Advisors wrote on its web site.
In addition, a public planning project is underway to increase mobility for walkers and bikers and safety improvements were started earlier in 2023.
Reprinted from Marine Construction Magazine Issue VI, 2023.
