FERRYSBURG, Mich. — After five years, the Smith's Bayou Bridge will be getting much-needed repairs thanks to a $11.7 million grant secured by Congresswoman Hillary Scholten.
The grant is from the Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration, which provided a $34.2 million grant to the state of Michigan. Smith's Bridge is the only West Michigan project that received a portion of that funding.
In June 2019, the bridge was closed due to safety concerns but reopened to vehicle traffic in January 2020. Weight restrictions were placed on the bridge.
Officials have struggled to receive funding for the repairs for years. Previously, a $10 million grant had been secured as part of a statewide program from the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), known as the Bridge Bundling Project, that would use federal COVID relief dollars to fix multiple bridges.
That federal funding, however, was taken back by Congress when it struck a deal in 2023 to raise the nation's debt ceiling.
Residents living nearby said they worry about emergency services having access to the area, as well as a longer commute. The bridge connects the east and west ends of Smith Bayou and is the only way to get across without having to go all the way around.
“For five years, the city of Ferrysburg has been struggling without a critical piece of infrastructure. The price tag to fix the superstructure the right way, is simply too large for a local community to carry on its own—it’s up to state and federal partners to prioritize these types of projects, and that’s exactly what I did," Scholten said in a release.
Ferrysburg Mayor Richard Carlson said the repairs will make a big difference for people in the community.
“Smith’s Bridge is a transportation asset not only for the City of Ferrysburg but for the West Michigan region,” said Carlson. “We give thanks to Congresswoman Scholten, US DOT, MDOT, and all those involved in securing this solution.”