(WWJ) Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's office says "major improvements" are coming to more than half-a-dozen bridges this month, as part of the governor's plan to "fix the damn roads."
Whitmer on Tuesday announced that seven local bridges — including two in Northern Macomb County — will see major repairs starting this month as part of the Michigan Department of Transportation’s (MDOT) bridge bundling pilot project.
"As construction season quickly approaches, we will continue making historic investments in our roads and bridges so every Michigander can stay safe as they go to work, drop their kids off at school, or run errands," said Whitmer, in a statement. "Since I took office, Michigan has repaired, rebuilt, or replaced 13,198 lane miles of road and 903 bridges in every region of the state, supporting nearly 82,000 jobs. We are fixing the roads with the right mix and materials, so they stay fixed, and creating tens of thousands of good-paying, skilled trades jobs along the way. This year, let’s continue to get it done."
Work to replace the beams and decks is beginning this month on the following structures:
• 33 Mile Road and 31 Mile Road in Macomb County
• Bentley Street Bridge in Lapeer County
• Palms Road in St. Clair County
• Herbison Road bridge in Clinton County
• East Washington Street bridge in Jackson County
• Byron Road bridge in Ottawa County
All work will be completed and reopened to traffic in 60-90 days, the governor's office said.
MDOT estimates $2 billion is required to get all state-owned bridges up to good or fair condition, and another $1.5 billion to do the same for all local agency-owned bridges. Gov. Whitmer and the Legislature appropriated $196 million in federal COVID relief funds in a Fiscal Year 2021 supplemental budget request for the next phase of the bridge bundling program. With this funding, MDOT anticipates the state can rebuild another 50 bridges or more, addressing bridges prioritized as critical to regional mobility and safety.
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The bridge bundling pilot project, the first of its kind in Michigan, includes 19 bridges in serious or critical condition that are owned by local agencies. Each bridge will have its superstructure replaced, which includes full removal and replacement of the bridge deck and supporting beams, within 60 to 90 days.
MDOT said it expects bridge bundling, which covers several bridge locations under one contract, to streamline coordination and permitting, increase economies of scale, and improve bridge conditions on local routes around the state.
State Transportation Director Paul Ajegba said MDOT is working to expand the approach, already in use on state trunkline projects, to address locally owned bridges.
“This program means that 19 bridges throughout the state will see improvements that should keep them in service for another 50 years, connecting communities for residents and businesses,” Ajegba said. “Not only will this pilot mean that these local bridges will see repair much sooner than anticipated, but in a streamlined way that allows for innovations and economies of scale.”
Updates on these projects, including detours, will be provided on an online dashboard at Michigan.gov/BridgeBundling .
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