Dexter Michigan Line old arch stones bridge

Anything pertaining to railfanning in Michigan.
OwlCaboose2853
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 2176
Joined: Fri Dec 17, 2004 9:17 pm
Location: Chelsea

Dexter Michigan Line old arch stones bridge

Unread post by OwlCaboose2853 »

Semi-trucker was so bad dorky! Driver can't a mathematics of the bridge heights! :roll:
Main Street closed after truck collides with Dexter railroad bridge; http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/ind ... cart_river
Amtrak Wolverines
NS Michigan Lines
Ann Arbor RR
The Monorail Society

Steven R. Williams

NYCMan
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 353
Joined: Wed Feb 09, 2011 5:00 pm

Re: Dexter Michigan Line old arch stones bridge

Unread post by NYCMan »

Makes you wonder if they gave any type of driving test to this Trucker before he got his license. Just looking at that stone arch bridge, one can see that it is LOW CLEARANCE. Did he really need to see a sign with the 11 foot, 10 inch height, too, to tell him that it was too low? Maybe he through that if he drove REALLY FAST that he could squeeze through?

My hat is off to that bridge. It was built in 1890 under the leadership of The Great Henry Bruckholst Ledyard, and has stood majecticaly there for 124 years. Sadly, there is a move afoot by the Michigan Department of Transportation -- World known for their pot-hole filled highways and roadways -- to remove that bridge. Apparently, even after wasting $65 Miliion on 2 Talgo trainsets that are incompatible with any station platform or any other train equipment here in Michigan, MDOT still has money to waste.

it is worth a trip to the A&W Drive In, located next to the bridge, just to enjoy looking at the bridge while enjoying your 'dogs and [root] beer. If you go at the right time, you can also get to see a couple of Amtrak trains go by. No freights, as they typically move at night.

User avatar
Ypsi
The Bestest Railroadfan... fan
Posts: 5510
Joined: Sun Feb 07, 2010 2:13 pm

Re: Dexter Michigan Line old arch stones bridge

Unread post by Ypsi »

NYCMan wrote: My hat is off to that bridge. It was built in 1890 under the leadership of The Great Henry Bruckholst Ledyard, and has stood majecticaly there for 124 years. Sadly, there is a move afoot by the Michigan Department of Transportation -- World known for their pot-hole filled highways and roadways -- to remove that bridge. Apparently, even after wasting $65 Miliion on 2 Talgo trainsets that are incompatible with any station platform or any other train equipment here in Michigan, MDOT still has money to waste.
Maybe if Amtrak wants faster trains they need a new bridge. I wouldn't run a train at 110 over a 120+ year old structure. You also may be able to prevent another truck strike.

What makes you think the talgos aren't compatible? They board at the same high as superliners iirc (I have a trains with the boarding highs for Amtrak equipment I'll try and dig up tonight), and superliners can board on the Michigan line. I believe all platforms that the wolverines run on are the 8 inch platforms, which can handle any Amtrak equipment. Like I said his is from memory, once I find the info I'll pass it as 100% true. And what makes you think the state would consider buying something that wouldn't work? Where did the rumor that the talgos that MDOT may or may not use won't work on the Michigan line come from?
"Ann Arbor 2373 Calling... Milkshake. Over"

All Aboard Amtrak: Northbound, Southbound, and My Hometown

CSX_CO
Over and Out
Posts: 3434
Joined: Sat Apr 09, 2005 10:34 pm
Location: Indiana
Contact:

Re: Dexter Michigan Line old arch stones bridge

Unread post by CSX_CO »

YpsiAmtrakBoy wrote: Maybe if Amtrak wants faster trains they need a new bridge. I wouldn't run a train at 110 over a 120+ year old structure. You also may be able to prevent another truck strike.
Plenty of old structures like that still in daily service. Personally, I'd rather run over something built of stone and mortar 100+ years ago, vs something built by the lowest bidder 10 years ago...

Practice Safe CSX

chapmaja
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 1261
Joined: Sat Nov 22, 2008 2:02 pm

Re: Dexter Michigan Line old arch stones bridge

Unread post by chapmaja »

CSX_CO wrote:
YpsiAmtrakBoy wrote: Maybe if Amtrak wants faster trains they need a new bridge. I wouldn't run a train at 110 over a 120+ year old structure. You also may be able to prevent another truck strike.
Plenty of old structures like that still in daily service. Personally, I'd rather run over something built of stone and mortar 100+ years ago, vs something built by the lowest bidder 10 years ago...

Practice Safe CSX
Amen


I drive over the no so distant past repaving of M-36 almost daily. The top layer of pavement has peeled up badly in many places so there is a 1-2 inch "pothole" covering much of the roadway. This was another "lowest bidder" job.

chapmaja
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 1261
Joined: Sat Nov 22, 2008 2:02 pm

Re: Dexter Michigan Line old arch stones bridge

Unread post by chapmaja »

NYCMan wrote:Makes you wonder if they gave any type of driving test to this Trucker before he got his license. Just looking at that stone arch bridge, one can see that it is LOW CLEARANCE. Did he really need to see a sign with the 11 foot, 10 inch height, too, to tell him that it was too low? Maybe he through that if he drove REALLY FAST that he could squeeze through?

My hat is off to that bridge. It was built in 1890 under the leadership of The Great Henry Bruckholst Ledyard, and has stood majecticaly there for 124 years. Sadly, there is a move afoot by the Michigan Department of Transportation -- World known for their pot-hole filled highways and roadways -- to remove that bridge. Apparently, even after wasting $65 Miliion on 2 Talgo trainsets that are incompatible with any station platform or any other train equipment here in Michigan, MDOT still has money to waste.

it is worth a trip to the A&W Drive In, located next to the bridge, just to enjoy looking at the bridge while enjoying your 'dogs and [root] beer. If you go at the right time, you can also get to see a couple of Amtrak trains go by. No freights, as they typically move at night.

I will say that the Washtenaw County Road Commission does deserve a small part of the blame for this, and the other near misses and snarled traffic along this section of roadway.

If you are coming in from the north towards this location, there is 1 sign indicating a low bridge clearance ahead. It is just after the turn from Dexter-Pinckney onto Island Lake Rd - Main St which goes under the bridge. After this sign the only options for a truck are to turn into a residential neighborhood or back up to the intersection of Island Lake and Dexter-Pinckney to take a long way around. Both of which cause significant delays to the rest of traffic.

There needs to be a sign posted on Dexter-Pinckney well in advance of Island Lake Rd indicating the low bridge ahead, as well as on Island Lake Rd before Wylie road, which is the most logical alternate route.

The truck driver still deserves most of the blame because given the damage to the truck, he was going at least the posted speed if not higher when he hit the bridge (from what I have seen of the damage).

Unfortunately I only see two ways the traffic flow issue in and around Dexter are solved, and both mean the loss of a historic structure and the use of historic property.

My preferred method would be to remove the A&W from it's currently location and relocated the roadway to a crossing where the A&W property is. This could be worked into the intersection of Dexter-Chelsea and Main St. The road under the bridge would then be closed and made into a pedestrian walkway to provide access to the neighborhood (so they don't walk across the railroad bridge which currently happens).

The second option is to remove the bridge and replace it with a two lane bridge that doesn't get backed up in heavier traffic days.

This is only part of Dexter's traffic issues. Idiotic planning can't be fixed, and when they redid downtown about 10 years ago they really screwed up the traffic flow through town.

OwlCaboose2853
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 2176
Joined: Fri Dec 17, 2004 9:17 pm
Location: Chelsea

Re: Dexter Michigan Line old arch stones bridge

Unread post by OwlCaboose2853 »

Here's a low clearance railroad bridge in North Carolin a that get's hit so much it has its own website. 11'8" website; http://11foot8.com/ by BC161 from MichiganRailroad.com
Video; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzkWTcDZFH0
almost 5 minutes.
Don Simon, I hope that you make not a mistake your big box truck hit a clearance heights railroad bridge! :lol:
Amtrak Wolverines
NS Michigan Lines
Ann Arbor RR
The Monorail Society

Steven R. Williams

User avatar
Saturnalia
Authority on Cat
Posts: 15385
Joined: Wed Sep 28, 2011 7:54 pm
Location: Michigan City, IN
Contact:

Re: Dexter Michigan Line old arch stones bridge

Unread post by Saturnalia »

There is a thread about that bridge in the Chit Chat forum "The Bridge Wins!"

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=25959
Thornapple River Rail Series - YouTube
Safety today is your investment for tomorrow

Post Reply