Truck causes pedestrian bridge collapse, westbound I-94 in Detroit closed

DETROIT (WXYZ) — A pedestrian bridge collapsed after a truck collision in Detroit Friday morning.

Michigan State Police say they were notified of the Townsend Pedestrian Bridge collapse around 5:20 a.m. Friday.

The collapse happened on westbound I-94 at Mt. Elliott and Townsend.

A truck brought down the bridge, according to Diane Cross of MDOT. The truck did not fit under the bridge, and the collision caused the collapse.

While the eastbound side of the bridge remains intact, MSP says the "whole bridge will need to be removed."

It's going to cost $86,000 to demolish the bridge, according to MDOT.

Diane Cross says the department does not plan on rebuilding the bridge, since there were plans to demolish it in a few years as part of the I-94 Modernization project.

Eastbound lanes shut down this morning at I-75 so MDOT could take down both sections of the bridge, MSP tweeted. The completion timeline is to be determined. MSP personnel have cleared the scene.

Right now, both east- and westbound lanes on I-94 are closed. MDOT says vehicles must exit at Van Dyke and can re-enter at E Grand Boulevard. Drivers can also detour using Gratiot to I-75 to I-94.

No injuries have been reported, according to 7 Action News reporter Ali Hoxie.