Imagine having to wait thirty minutes to an hour in traffic waiting to get home. Then after all of that having to pay five dollars to get across the bridge. This is what the people who live on Grosse Ile have to deal with for up to three weeks. My family and I are some of the many people who are getting delayed by this closing. Only having one bridge for many people to travel over creates many different problems. The free bridge being closed has caused inconvenience, traffic, and upcharges for anyone wanting to get on and off the island.
Firstly, the bridge being closed is a major inconvenience. If you need to get anything that's not on the island you have to pay to get there. This is a problem because with the closing it takes a long time to get across to the stores. For example, running to any store that is not Kroger will be a hassle for individuals and families. If you live on the Northside of the island it will now take you an extra 20 minutes to get to the open bridge that takes you off the island. Time has a big impact on daily routines. For example, I have to leave a half-hour early for hockey practice to make sure I get there on time. This routine change is annoying because I have to now account for the driving time more than usual. Time is a factor influenced by the closing of the pay bridge.
Additionally, the bridge closing causes a lot of traffic. This traffic causes huge backups. These backups are the reason it takes me so long to get to where I need to go. The bridge causes me to be late for school, practice, and family events. I oftentimes had to skip out on events because of the traffic. I am not the only one affected by this, but other people too. On an average day of the bridge being closed the backup is usually up to 50 to 100 cars. This type of traffic could even be dangerous leading to accidents.
Lastly, the only bridge open is the pay bridge. This creates an upcharge for the people who want to get across. Usually, it is $2.50 each way and now it is $5 one way. This is a surprise to the people who do not live in Grosse Ile. For example, if I wanted to invite friends or family over they would each need to pay $5 which is an inconvenience to them. Also, some of my friends and family live further away from the pay bridge, so now they are at an inconvenience in this aspect as well.
Overall, only having one bridge open causes many problems for people. It affects the way people live their lives. The bridge closing creates inconveniences such as traffic. The traffic creates time delays for people on a schedule. Another inconvenience is the upcharge. Many people are not prepared to pay to get across. I believe that when the free bridge is closed that the pay bridge should be free so it is easy and accessible for everyone. Even though the bridge is only closed for three weeks, it still causes many problems in this short period.
