Just a few weeks after opening, the new Saugatuck Island bridge is closed again.
The bridge is fine. It’s Mother Nature — or perhaps climate change — that’s the problem.
Today is lovely. The sun is out; the air is crisp.
But high tide was at noon. It came during a near full moon. Here’s the result:
(Photos/Gene Borio)
Gene Borio – an alert “06880” reader and Saugatuck Shores neighbor who took these photos — notes: “There are free tide apps available. Saugatuck Island residents need to start downloading them.”
It’s an Astronomically high tide , due as you said , to the full moon.
I would love to write a mile long diatribe here with a political punch or two, but I will be brief….
I would blame Jim for the Tides and Full Moon, blame the Marpe administration for maintaining taxes low thus encouraging these residents to stay on the shores, or blaming Jim Marpe for not moving the water towers close by the shores as a wall to block the astronomical high tides from approaching our shores. Does this tone sound familiar?
The man has done everything he was elected to do, done it well and as my pop useta say If it ain’t broke, don’t mess with it, or it may be soon.
Sorry Dan I had to do that……
Nature always conquers human aesthetics.
A couple was using our driveway to turn around, and apologized–such polite Islanders(!) I said they were welcome to wait it out in the driveway if they wanted, but they said they had “no time.” OK, but I suggested they get the car well washed because of the salt water.
I have been trapped by that tide out there and foolishly drove through a foot of salt water on a couple of occasions.
Within 3 years my Chevy trucks frame
Rusted so bad it was beyond repair, the truck had to be junked. Saltwater and unprotected steel do not mix. Never drive through salt water.
They JUST opened the bridge again. I don’t know if that’s permanent (we can hope), or just in recognition that it’s a period of high tides right now.
I hate to hear that, Russel–it’s truly amazing what sea water can do. It’s an object lesson though–we need to be VERY careful buying used cars now, after the hurricanes in Houston and Florida. I’m sure there’s a ton of salt-water-damaged cars on the market…
— but where was the forethought in the engineering of the bridge?
I’m speaking from a place where bridge builders neglected to consider ice shards dropping onto traffic below. Weather was not considered in the plan, I guess.
The bridge is high and dry / see photo – it’s the road network along the canal that flood / as they always do when tides exceed about 7 ft – today’s moon tide was 8.7 ft and Sundays noon ride is 8.8 ft – highest astronomical tides this year – then add in an eastsoutheasterly breeze today and that gives a few inches more at high tide – so the new bridge is fine in its design – just the road network and Suagatuck Island that has low elevations, thus flooding during astronomically high tides, storms, easterly wind flows, etc.
I guess I’m getting old but I remember when most of the island was salt marsh, with a few unheated cottages used only from June – September. Most of the houses built in the last 50 years are on reclaimed land. Like Sam Kinison used to scream about North African poverty: “You live in a DESERT. Move to where the food is.”
Those poor cars 🙁
I’m with you Eric – I remember the same thing about Saugatuck SHORES!