photo courtesy of Vanderhoeven Photography
SECOND SPAN BLUE WATER
BRIDGE
BRIDGE STATISTICS
photo courtesy of Vanderhoeven
Photography
| Existing Bridge | New Bridge | |
| Type of Bridge | Cantilever Truss | Continuous Tied Arch |
| Total length of Bridge, excluding plazas | 6,534' | 6,109' (1862 m) |
| Number of spans | 72 | 39 |
| Main span length | 871' | 922' (281 m) |
| Truss/Arch length | 1,576' | 1,480' (451 m) |
| Width | 40' | 51' (15.6 m) |
| Lanes/Width | 3/10'-8" | 3/12' |
| Total weight of main span | 28,340 tons | 20,084 tons |
| Total weight of American approach | 9,940 tons | 30,591 tons |
| Total weight of Canadian approach | 11,050 tons | 33,353 tons |
| Total weight of steel and concrete | 86,905 tons | 84,028 tons |
| Rivets | 2,228,000 (500 tons) | --- |
| Bolts | --- | 350,000 |
| Steel foundation piling | --- | 31 miles (50,302 m) |
| Clearance above river | 152' | 155' |
| Top of steel above river | 210' | 233' |
| Main pier construction | Each main pier contains 10,000 tons of concrete & reinforcing steel resting on rock | Each main pier sits on 144 H-piling driven 105' to bedrock |
| Construction Commencement | 6 - 24 - 37 | 6 - 15 - 95 |
| Main span steel joined | 5 - 24 - 38 | 11 - 8 - 96 (proposed) |
| Completion | 10 - 10 - 38 | 7 - 1 - 97 (proposed) |
| Cost of Construction | $3,250,000 | $79,269,755 |
| Total Construction | $3,900,000 | $107,488,651 |
| (Construction, Ferries, Engineering, Right of Way, Environmental Activities, etc.) | ||
| Construction Cost per Total Cost | 83 % | 74 % |
| Source of Funding | Michigan: State (incl. main span) /
Federal Ontario: Province / Federal |
MDOT and FHWA BWBA / Bank of Nova Scotia |
| Tolls | $0.60/car & driver $0.10/passenger/pedestrian |
$1.50/car $2.00/axel/truck |