Jackson, Macomb Co. bridges open after repairs

LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — Two Michigan bridges are back in working shape Friday following repairs made thanks to the Rebuilding MI bridges program.

The East Washington Bridge is Jackson is the third bridge to be repaired, just a day after repairs on the 33 Mile Road bridge were repaired in Macomb County.

The Rebuilding MI Bridges program is a partnership with the Michigan Department of Transportation covers several locations under one contract, streamlining coordination and permitting, increasing economies of scale, and improving bridge conditions on local routes around the state.

Across Michigan, we are moving dirt to fix roads and bridges, keeping drivers safe and saving them time and money. Today, I was proud to join the hardworking crew in Jackson to reopen the East Washington Street bridge, which links the east and west sides of the city,” said Governor Whitmer. “Since I took office 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. We’re fixing our infrastructure with the right mix and material, so it stays fixed. Last year, I signed a bipartisan bill that will fix 59 additional bridges across the state and today, I am proud that our bridge repair efforts, including MDOT’s local bridge bundling pilot program, continue to make progress. 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. Let’s get it done.” 

Governor Gretchen Whitmer

Though the bridge repairs in Jackson were small, the bridge’s condition was considered poor for some time, having to shift its weight limits due to its condition.

“Washington Street is right off the trunkline going into an industrial area. The bridge serves as a connector,” Jackson city engineer Jon Dowling said. “The project, once it got going, has gone great and construction went quickly.”

But the East Washington Bridge is not the only one seeing repairs, as a bridge on East Ganson Street over the Grand River will be seeing repairs soon.

In Macomb County, the 33 Mile Bridge was reopened yesterday, restoring a route for east to west rural traffic heading towards Romeo and Richmond.

Two more bridges will be repaired under the bridge pilot program.

“Having a few of the bridge superstructures that are in critical condition replaced within the bridge bundle pilot project has given the MCDR an opportunity to focus on implementing a mix of fixes for the remainder of our bridge inventory with traditional resources and funding,” said Adam Newton, project engineer for the Macomb County Department of Roads. 

The remaining 12 bridges to be rebuilt this year under the pilot project, along with scheduled start dates and contracted length of the project, are: