Comments on: Water Main Project Set for Bryant Area

By: NJB

NJB — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:37:22 +0000

How did the city get to the point of having a 50 year old bridge and not have any money set aside for its replacement.

How often does a train use the tracks along State Street? That is the hole reason there is a bridge at State Street. What about cutting this all down to an at grade crossing and eliminate the 20 million dollar bridge at State Street!

By: Alan Goldsmith

Alan Goldsmith — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 11:29:40 +0000

Got it. Lol.

By: jcp2

jcp2 — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 19:37:13 +0000

Sorry. I was referring to your description of Stadium by the bridge.

By: Alan Goldsmith

Alan Goldsmith — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 17:40:09 +0000

Eh..sewer…

By: jcp2

jcp2 — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:23:28 +0000

And that is why a lot of people stick with high clearance vehicles. If you’re driving on the moon, you need a lunar rover.

By: Alan Goldsmith

Alan Goldsmith — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:13:31 +0000

I agree Tom. If Ann Arbor doesn’t have the management skills or funds to provide for water, seward and streets, someone needs to step up to the plate and take charge. And maybe go to Plan B. Your suggestion makes sense. Maybe it could include resurfacing the road approaching the bridge as well. They look like the surface of the moon. The section of Stadium directly in front of the Big House is embarassing.

By: Gary Schmidt

Gary Schmidt — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:09:35 +0000

Good point. We’re also spending water funds to maintain Argo Dam for the rowers.

By: Tom Whitaker

Tom Whitaker — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:04:43 +0000

If State and Federal funding is unavailable for the Stadium Bridge project, then I would suggest the City simply replace the bad beams and put the bridge back together, as is, for the time being. This would save $20 million plus and the street millage would remain intact to be used as intended, on our failing streets (like Dexter Ave.). Later, when funding becomes available, the big project can be undertaken, but in the meantime, we’ll have a functional bridge with four lanes.

By: Alan Goldsmith

Alan Goldsmith — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 14:40:10 +0000

“Funding for the second part of the project – street resurfacing, estimated at about $3 million – would come from the city’s street reconstruction millage. However, it’s unclear how much funding will be available from the millage. That question hinges on whether the city is successful in getting federal funding to replace the East Stadium bridges. If the city doesn’t get a federal grant that it has applied for, then millage funds will be used for the bridges and other street projects will be postponed.”

As the economy gets worse, it’s apparent how the city management has utterly failed at provide day-to-day services to the residents of Ann Arbor. But we can spend water department funds for part time administrative work for the new Court/Police Building art project.

Failing bridges, flooding, collapse of the water system. This is the new Ann Arbor of the 21st Century.