Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. Detroit is best known as the center of the U.S. automobile industry, and the "Big Three" auto manufacturers General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis North America (Chrysler) are all headquartered in Metro Detroit.[1]
Coverage[]
Detroit is primary featured in Roads to Nowhere.
Water buckles the streets and becomes a fountain.
It was introduced in 4 days after people when the Motor City is silent. The birthplace of mass produced automobiles will have none travel down the road and no trucks to shuttle cargo over the Ambassador Bridge to Canada. The tallest building in Michigan, the Renaissance Center stands empty. 4 miles east of downtown, on the banks of the Detroit River at the city's waterworks plant, some machines are still humming even though power plants begin to fail worldwide. While the generators power last for 2 more days, there's no one to turn on a faucet. Underneath downtown Detroit are 4 foot diameter pipes dating back to the 19th century and are the weakest links in the system. It sent water to Detroit's citizens through the birth of the Model T, the rise of the Big Three, and the collapse of manufacturing. The pipes are now finished with their tour of history. Cheryl Porter stated it will be completely full and start to burst. Compounding to the disaster are clay soil which much of downtown Detroit built on. John McGrail stated that the clay is impervious to the flow of water causing it to saturate and the tendency for water to go up while George Ellenwood stated that the pressure continues building, pushing up sidewalk and street until it buckle. As water buckles the sidewalk, 10 foot high fountains turn the streets into thoroughfares of water.
In 25 years after people, the extreme climate is taking it's toll on the city skyline. Steven S. Ross stated there are extremes weather with freezing, thawing, wind, rain, ice, and with right by the river, it will have moisture and very open space for very high winds making it tough for a building in Detroit. At the Renaissance Center, 25 years after people have turned its atrium into a forest, although decorative palms have died, native trees like Shagbark hickories and giant oaks have moved in. Steven S. Ross stated that as long as the structure provides shelter, it will have plant and animal life like feral dogs, wolves, and wolverines turning it into an ecosystem.
A car in Detroit decays.
In 50 years after people, Detroit crumbles, where the Motor City once cranked out 15 million cars every year in Detroit are seeing the same cars decaying on its streets. None of them would have inflated tires anymore but the rubber and synthetics will last hundreds of years. Within another 25 years (=75 years?), the cars at Detroit will be reduce into a skeleton by the tough climate.
The central tower of the Renaissance Center collapse.
In 150 years after people, the Ambassador Bridge have been continued to be exposed to wind and weather, and its vertical suspension cables starts to give way. Steven S. Ross stated that the weak spots are at the bottom of the cable where it tie into the deck. It lay over one of two horizontal white lines known as catenary cables with 37 steel strands, each about a foot in diameter, interweave to form one of the catenary cables. Steven S. Ross stated as multiple cables break, it changes the shape of the white catenary cable, because it's no longer taking an even amount of weight at each interval. Another vertical cable snaps and segment of the deck crashes into the river, 150 foot gap gashes through the road to Canada. Within seconds, the other sections of the Ambassador Bridge falls. At downtown Detroit, the central tower of the Renaissance Center still stands taller, but the broken windows have left the structure unable to retain any heat from the sun. Steven S. Ross stated that ice would build up during the winter and the sun would not directly warm the building. One of the upper floors finally loses its grip and the rest of the central tower collapse, bringing down of the adjoining buildings as it falls.
The towers at the Ambassador Bridge falls.
In 200 years after people, the white horizontal catenary cable that once held up the span, is ironically helping to topple the remains of the Ambassador Bridge. Steven S. Ross stated that the cable is anchored on either side and when the deck no longer at the bridge, the tension will be uneven with the towers bend toward the land side by spreading apart and put a strain on the towers. The towers then finally yield and the Ambassador Bridge collapses on both sides.
The fate of Detroit is revealed in 1,000 years after people when the entire city has become a wetlands with massive oak trees looking it down along the banks of the Detroit River. The place that gave birth to the history changing V8 engine, the SUV, and pickup trucks, along with the sound of a roaring engine, is long forgotten.
Transformation[]
Detroit would become a wetlands.
The transformation of Detroit in Roads to Nowhere will be turned into a wetlands with massive oak trees as stated in 1,000 years after people. Any remnants of the buildings would be long gone, possibly swallowed by the Detroit River, which possibly expand from snow and ice melt that turned the city into the wetlands.
Abandoned[]
Main article: Abandoned areas of Detroit
The Packard Automotive Plant, abandoned after company fell into debt.
In Roads to Nowhere, the episode featured parts of the abandoned areas of the city that sees the future for 40 years, this include the Packard Automotive Plant, abandoned after a crushing debt on Packard, and the 60 square miles of the city, abandoned as competition from foreign car manufacturers intensified and people moved out, especially a school which was closed 2 years after.
Gallery[]
References[]