Beaumont links Troy, Sterling Heights with pedestrian bridge

metromode, 2/4/2010

There is a new place for anyone who wants to have a foot in both Oakland and Macomb counties.

Beaumont Hospital has opened an elevated pedestrian bridge between two of its buildings at its Troy campus. One of the buildings stands on the Troy side of Dequindre Road, while the other sits on the Sterling Heights side. It's a structure that hospital officials say will help bridge the two communities in more ways than one.

"The bridge serves as a symbol that we serve both Oakland and Macomb counties," says Tom Brisse, senior vice president and hospital director for Beaumont Hospital Troy. He adds that getting two cities, two counties, the state and a road commission to work together is never an easy task, but that everyone not only played nicely but worked effectively together.

The $19.2 million bridge connects Beaumont Hospital Troy with its new outpatient facilities at the Beaumont Medical Center located in Sterling Heights. The 600-foot walkway features 15,000 square feet of pedestrian space, including two multi-level atrium reception areas on each end of the bridge. It's finished with brushed aluminum and lightly tinted glass.

Beaumont Hospital Troy opened in 1977 and now features a 361-bed, acute care community teaching hospital that ranks among the nation's highest-volume community hospitals for admissions and surgeries.

Source: Tom Brisse, senior vice president and hospital director for Beaumont Hospital Troy
Writer: Jon Zemke