Pedestrian bridge collapses at former Packard Plant on Detroit's east side

No injuries reported

DETROIT – A one-time pedestrian bridge at the site of the old Packard Plant on Detroit's east side has collapsed.

The bridge debris is blocking East Grand Boulevard at Concord Avenue.

The iconic bridge that spanned over the boulevard gave way around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, officials said.

Two workers who were at the scene said they heard a crumbling sound and went to investigate. That's when the bridge came crashing down, they said.

The north side of the bridge is owned by a Peruvian outfit called Arte Express and the south side by the city of Detroit. Cleanup is expected to be a joint effort.

Officials said there were no injuries and no vehicles were damaged.

The City of Detroit released the following statement:

"Today, a portion of the Packard Plant pedestrian bridge collapsed over East Grand Boulevard. No injuries have been reported and the affected portion of the road has been shut down by the Detroit Police Department.

Our first priority is to ensure the area is made safe for the public and the roadway is reopened as soon as possible. The City is taking the lead on clearing debris and inspectors from the Buildings Safety Engineering and Environmental Department and Detroit Building Authority are on scene to assess this situation. We are making plans to bring in a contractor to remove the debris as quickly as possible."

The city released a second statement around 8 p.m. Wednesday, that is available below.

"The Detroit Building Authority has contracted with Blue Star Demolition to perform the removal of the collapsed Packard Plant pedestrian bridge over E. Grand Boulevard.  Blue Star is a pre-qualified vendor under an existing emergency contract the city has in place for unexpected situations such as this.  

Blue Star workers are arriving on site this evening to begin their assessment and to develop their plan for safely separating the remainder of the bridge structure from the buildings on each side and removing the debris from the roadway and adjacent areas.

We expect that active work will begin in the morning. There is no timeline yet established for the completion of work and the reopening of the road.  The first priority is the safety of the workers and the public. The roadway will remain closed until work has completed and security staff from Arte Express will be on site around the clock to help ensure that no unauthorized individuals enter the area."

 


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Derick is the Lead Digital Editor for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.