(LANSING) – Four bridges in Southern Michigan will be repaired or removed in 2022.
On Wednesday, the Michigan Department of Transportation and Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced that major repairs on local bridges will continue later this year as the MDOT Bridge Bundling Project moves forward. The project is able to continue due to $196 million in funding that was signed into law by Governor Whitmer. It will allow the State of Michigan to execute Phase II of the program on 59 bridges.
In addition, five bridge bundling projects started in March, as part of a pilot program to repair 19 bridges under Phase 1, will continue. All of the bridges encompassed by the pilot program are locally owned and will either be completed and reopened to traffic within 60 or 90 days, or will be permanently removed.
One of the bridges that will be repaired is the Nottawa Road Bridge that crosses the Prairie River in St. Joseph County. The bridge was built in 1963. Repair work is set to start on August 15.
Another bridge that will be repaired is the Squawfield Road Bridge, that goes over the east branch of the St. Joseph and Maumee Rivers in Hillsdale County. Start date for that project is targeted for June 15.
Two bridges in Branch County will also be given attention. The Gower Road Bridge, which crosses the Coldwater River, will be removed at a cost of $500,000. The Central Road Bridge, also crossing the Coldwater River, will be replaced and have the load restricted. That project will cost $1,970,000.
State Transportation Director Paul C. Ajegba says they are making good progress toward their goal of improving 19 local bridges throughout the state this year. He says these projects should keep the bridges in service for another 50 years, continuing to connect communities, travelers and businesses. Ajegba says this pilot program will accelerate repairs, streamline construction, spark innovations, and create economies of scale, helping to rebuild Michigan's infrastructure more efficiently.
The pilot project is the first of its kind in Michigan.
