MICHIGAN, USA — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced the completion of four bridge projects on Friday, one of which is in Muskegon County.
An important bridge over Brooks Creek in Muskegon County which is used by commuters, commercial trucking and tourists has been completely rebuilt as part of the governor's Rebuild Our Bridges program.
The rebuilding of the bridge came at a time when officials were considering limiting its use through weight restrictions due to its deteriorating condition.
“The old bridge’s condition was such that we would have had to soon impose weight restrictions on it. With the nearest crossings of the Muskegon River being 7 miles to the east and 8 miles to the west, getting this bridge back in service should be a welcome relief for its daily users,” said Paul Bouman, highway engineer, Muskegon County Road Commission.
The 64-foot bridge was originally constructed in 1985 and was found to be in serious structural condition when last inspected in 2020.
“The timing of this initiative by the State of Michigan and MDOT was perfect for us in that it handily resolved a looming problem that we otherwise lacked the resources to fix. While closing the road this summer has been a hardship for those impacted, the long-term win for the public is having a reliable new structure in place and ready for many years of useful service versus what could have been a long period of time with restricted load limits and higher costs for trucking,” Bouman added.
Other bridge projects completed in the state were a 63-year-old bridge connecting rural Barry County to the western part of Eaton County, a 54-year-old bridge in Ingham County and a 56-year-old bridge in Hillsdale County. All of the bridges completed were listed as in serious condition before the repairs or rebuilding.
The pilot program to repair and rebuild bridges in the state focused on 19 bridges, 10 of which have been completely repaired or rebuilt since the program launched in March of 2022.
“Thanks to our hard work, we are moving dirt to fix roads and bridges across Michigan at a record pace. With the completion of these four projects, Michiganders will have a smoother drive, saving them time and money as they run errands, go to work, or travel,” said Gov. Whitmer. “Through the end of 2022, we will fix over 16,000 lane miles of road and more than 1,200 bridges, supporting nearly 89,000 jobs. The bipartisan budget I recently signed, will continue to support more projects like these across the state. The projects we’re moving forward with will support more good-paying jobs and deliver on an issue that matters to us all—safe, reliable infrastructure."
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