Children's Health

Bridge to New Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital to Be Installed

Small portion of Michigan Street will be closed for 48 hours to accommodate bridge installation

The bridge to the new Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital will be installed on Saturday, March 13 between 8:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.’ Michigan Street, between Coit Avenue and Bostwick Avenue, will be closed to traffic beginning Friday, March 12, at 6 p.m., until Sunday, March 14, at 6 p.m., to accommodate the major construction milestone.’

Once complete, the bridge will connect the new Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital to 35 Michigan St., part of the Michigan Street Development. Three floors of the new building will be dedicated to Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital outpatient specialty services. The bridge will be an iconic gateway to the new hospital from public parking facilities located beneath the 35 Michigan St. building.

Media interested in capturing the bridge installation can view the most action between 8:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 13.

About the bridge

• The steel weighs 99 tons and is just under 200 feet long and 50 feet tall.
• Approximately 14,000 square feet of glass will enclose the bridge when complete. There are 300 pieces of glass on the west side and 328 pieces on the east side.
• More than 200 gallons of paint will be needed to cover the bridge steel.
• There will be 2,300 square feet of carpet on the bridge.’

During the road closure, patients and visitors will be able to use the Butterworth Hospital main entrance, Lemmen-Holton Cancer Pavilion entrance, 25 Michigan St. entrance and all parking ramps. Access will be restricted as follows due to the construction:

• Butterworth Hospital and Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital Entrance: Only westbound Michigan Street vehicles will be able to enter. All vehicles must exit to the right onto eastbound Michigan Street.
• 25 Michigan Street/Ramp 1: Only eastbound Michigan Street traffic will be able to enter. All vehicles must exit to the right onto westbound Michigan Street.

View the color-coded detour map for details or visit devoschildrens.org for additional construction and parking information.

Patients will move into the new building on January 11, 2011. The 14-floor, 444,000 square feet, 206-bed, $286 million children’s hospital will dramatically change the skyline on Michigan Street’s “Medical Mile” in Grand Rapids. Supported by nearly $103 million in generous community support, special features of the new hospital include:

A child-friendly atmosphere designed to make kids feel comfortable and safe in a hospital dedicated exclusively for children

An outdoor garden accessible from the main lobby

Spacious, private inpatient rooms where parents may stay overnight

Room for play and entertainment to foster healing and hope

Quiet spaces and a chapel for all faiths

Dedicated emergency department, and operating and recovery rooms just for children

Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, a member of Spectrum Health, is a Grand Rapids-based hospital serving children throughout Michigan. A teaching hospital, it includes more than 150 pediatric specialty physicians with specialized training in providing medical and surgical care to children in more than 40 pediatric specialties. Visit devoschildrens.org to learn more or devoschildrens.org/2011 to learn about the new hospital opening in 2011.’