Records show corroded steel beam that closed 16th Street viaduct
By James Stratton
Click here for updates on this story
MILWAUKEE (WISN) — The monthslong waiting game continues for the southern portion of the 16th Street viaduct in Milwaukee near the Menomonee River after inspectors found a corroded beam and closed the viaduct back in December, due to safety concerns.
12 News Investigates obtained the most recent inspection report of the nearly 100-year-old bridge through public records. We took the report to Dr. Andrew Sen, assistant professor in the Department of Civil Construction and Environmental Engineering at Marquette University.
“If you want to think about it in terms of like a house with termite damage, the termites are physically eating away at the wood in the house, which compromises structural integrity,” Sen said. “The same thing is essentially happening here, except it’s an electro-chemical process, rather than termites. “
The inspection report, finalized in late January, says water leaked in from a bridge joint and leaked onto the beam, which “…resulted in severe corrosion…” The beam itself was likely installed in 1986; the report shows that is the last time the bridge’s substructure was replaced. Milwaukee Department of Public Works says workers inspect the bridge every year due to its condition and age, instead of every two years.
“That’s why you inspect the bridges,” Sen said. “To try to find those problems. So, that’s a good thing that we’re routinely inspecting things.”
The report states workers will also evaluate other corroded areas of the bridge before reopening.
“My focus right now is making sure that constituents know they should still feel free to come down here,” Alderperson JoCasta Zamarripa said.
Zamarripa said the closure of the 16th Street viaduct and the nearby 27th Street bridge have both put a strain on her district.
“A lot of frustration, as you can imagine, in particular from our area businesses,” Zamarripa said. “Their clientele is going to have that much more of a difficult time accessing their business.”
DPW says the workers are waiting for the particular beam to be fabricated, and then they can start work to install it. The portion of the southside of the viaduct is expected to be open sometime in April. Separately, construction on the northern part of the bridge is expected to finish in October.
Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.