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More bridge bundling projects starting

Fast facts:

  • The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) bridge bundling pilot project is moving forward, with three more projects starting in July.
  • The pilot currently encompasses major improvements to 19 locally owned bridges in 2022.
  • MDOT expects the bridge bundling pilot project, which covers several projects under one contract, to streamline coordination and permitting, increase economies of scale, and improve bridge conditions on local routes.
  • MDOT's online dashboard at Michigan.gov/BridgeBundling allows the public to track progress on the projects.

LANSING, Mich. ­- As the summer rolls on, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) bridge bundling pilot project continues to make rapid progress.

Six local agency bridge bundling projects are now largely completed, with work on six others under way. Three more projects are set to begin this month: 

St. Clair County: Palms Road (July 5)

Ingham County: Dennis Road (July 5)

Macomb County: 26 Mile Road (July 25)

All of the bridges encompassed by the program will be completed and reopened to traffic within 60 or 90 days from the start of repairs.

The Mason Road bridge over the South Branch of the Shiawassee River in Livingston County is the next bridge in the program slated to be finished, with the bridge expected to reopen to traffic July 30.

This year's bridge bundling pilot project, the first of its kind in Michigan, is repairing 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.

Adam Newton, project engineer for the Macomb County Department of Roads (MCDR), said the bridge bundling program was a great resource for the department as it strives for a sustainable balance of bridge replacement, improvements and preventive maintenance to limit the number of bridges that slip into poor, serious or critical condition.

"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," Newton said.

Macomb County has three bridges, including 26 Mile Road, in the pilot program.

The pilot project is funded by Federal Highway Improvement Program (HIP) dollars. MDOT bridge staff and consultants are doing preliminary design and construction administration work for the bridge bundling program.

An online dashboard at Michigan.gov/BridgeBundling provides project updates and shows percent completion, detour routes, and other information for each project.

The pilot program is only the first phase of the bridge bundling initiative. $196 million in federal COVID relief funds appropriated by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Legislature will allow the state to execute Phase II of the bridge bundling program, beginning later this year, to address 59 more bridges.

A list of the Phase II bridges, which were prioritized based on regional mobility and safety, is available here. Phase II focuses on closed and load-posted bridges. Some will be permanently removed while others will be fully replaced.

MDOT 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. MDOT is working to expand the approach, already in use on state trunkline projects, to address locally owned bridges.

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

Lenawee County: Sand Creek Highway (Aug. 1, 90 days)

Livingston County: Iosco Road (Aug. 15, 60 days)

Luce County: Dollarville Road (Aug. 1, 60 days)

St. Joseph County: Nottawa Road (Aug. 15, 90 days)

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