After a tanker truck fire caused the catastrophic collapse of the I-75 overpass at Nine Mile Road in Hazel Park, Michigan, our firm played a crucial role in its rapid reconstruction. Selected as lead bridge designer for the MDOT Design-Build project in October 2009, we assisted the Contractor team to deliver this emergency response project.

Our engineering team tackled a complex design challenge: the new bridge needed to accommodate MDOT’s future plans to shift I-75’s alignment without requiring complete reconstruction. We developed an innovative solution that allowed for the future demolition and repositioning of the median pier approximately 15 feet eastward at a different skew angle—ensuring the bridge’s long-term adaptability.

Fifteen years later, in 2024, our firm was part of another Design Build team that built the realigned I-75 corridor. As part of that team, we designed the new pier that was constructed as well as the transfer of loading to it, followed by demolition of the pier built as part of the 2009 project. Through our expertise in accelerated bridge design and close collaboration with construction partners, we delivered complete plans and specifications that enabled this critical infrastructure to reopen in 2009, just two months after contract award. Our innovative design solution not only met immediate emergency response needs but also provided long-term flexibility for future highway improvements that were completed in 2024.