News Hits crawled out of bed way earlier than usual Saturday morning to go catch what the post-modernists would call the de-construction of billionaire Matty Moroun's massive vehicle ramp to nowhere (RTN). Built without anyone's permission, the ramp — which would have led to the new bridge Moroun and his Detroit International Bridge Co. want to build — unfortunately stood in the path of a truck route at the site of the Gateway Plaza in southwest Detroit.

After years of legal wrangling between the state and the DIBC, Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Prentis Edwards gave full control of the project to the Michigan Department of Transportation to get the job done as originally planned. 

And that meant adios, RTN. No big booms, though. Located adjacent to an approach to the existing Ambassador Bridge, the RTN had to be demolished with a certain amount of finesse. Too bad. We would have enjoyed seeing the offending structure blown to smithereens. 

We did get to say hi to community activist Joe Rashid though. The southwest Detroit stalwart came out as well.

"This was a long time coming," he said.

News Hits is written by Curt Guyette. Contact the column at 313-202-8004 or NewsHits@metrotimes.com.

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