“Ongoing maintenance of the bridge is excellent, keeping all major elements of the structure in overall good to fair condition,” said H&H engineer Mark Helinski. ‘Our inspection found no significant new problems or significant changes compared to previous years.’
NEWS RELEASE
MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
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SAULT STE. MARIE, Michigan and Ontario – The Sault Ste. The board of directors of the Marie Bridge Authority (SSMBA), the binational body that oversees the operations of the International Bridge, heard reports of a recent bridge inspection during the board’s regular meeting today.
The SSMBA board reviewed and officially accepted the results of the FCM inspection of the bridge. These inspections provide a closer look at bridge components that are critical to the structural integrity of the bridge. A team of bridge engineering experts from leading Okemos, Michigan firm Hardesty and Hanover (H&H), along with their Canadian partner firm, WSP Canada Group Ltd. of Mississauga, Ontario, conducted the bridge inspection this summer and presented their findings at Thursday’s meeting.
“Ongoing maintenance of the bridge is excellent, keeping all major elements of the structure in overall good to fair condition,” said H&H engineer Mark Helinski. “Our inspection found no significant new issues or significant changes from previous years.”
H&H noted that a number of issues needed to be addressed, such as corrosion, pain loss and maintenance of the rocker arms. The International Bridge Administration (IBA) staff has included this work in future planned maintenance.
“These results continue the International Bridge’s excellent maintenance history,” said Karl Hansen, IBA bridge engineer. “Our dedicated staff diligently protects the public’s investment in the bridge. We have been able to prioritize and address any issues identified by these inspections in a timely manner, whether through monitoring, contractual repairs or internal repairs.”
The International Bridge is inspected every year, with the fracture-critical inspection alternating with a routine inspection in which the entire bridge is examined every two years. In addition, the required five-year underwater inspection of 15 underwater piers in the St. Marys River began this year. Ten piers were inspected in June, while five piers on the Canadian side will be inspected next spring. The inspected piers remain in fair condition, with no significant changes from previous inspections.
IBA maintenance staff have had a busy and successful year, completing 86 percent of the routine maintenance work identified in the 2022 FCM report. The good weather in the fall also allowed them to address 74 percent of routine maintenance work identified during the 2023 detailed routine inspection, leaving staff well prepared to meet their 2024-2025 goals.
In addition to routine maintenance work, IBA maintenance staff cleaned and coated approximately 130 meters of green pedestrian rail along the US approach. Crews also repaired a large section of delaminated concrete on a lower pier base. This complex project involved removing and replacing four cubic meters of concrete in an area under the bridge that was inaccessible to vehicular traffic. Crews descended more than 100 feet on a movable scaffold, removed the bad concrete and then pumped down the new concrete from the bridge deck.
IBA maintenance personnel also completed an unplanned bridge deck project with assistance from Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) personnel. An epoxy friction surface was applied to nearly 45,000 square feet of deck area in late July. The total project cost was $229,735, a savings of $137,265 over the estimate for similar work performed by a contractor.
In other matters, the board has elected officers for the coming year. The SSMBA Board consists of up to eight members: four Michigan members appointed by the Governor and four Canadian members appointed by The Federal Bridge Corporation Limited (FBCL), a Crown corporation based in Ottawa, Ont.
Board member Natalie Kinloch of Apple Hill, Ontario, was elected chair of the SSMBA board of directors in 2025. The other Canadian members are Karen Richards, Thye Lee and Rémi Paquette.
Linda Hoath of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, was elected vice chair for 2025. The other U.S. representatives are Nicholas White, Scott Shackleton and Thomas Buckingham Sr.
The board has set the meeting dates for 2025 as February 20, May 22, August 14 and November 20.
For more information about the International Bridge, please visit www.saultbridge.com. Follow us on X (formerly known as Twitter) at www.x.com/saultbridge.
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