Jan. 10 US-31 Charlevoix bascule bridge overnight closure cancelled

Fast facts:

• Due to faster-than-expected work progress, an overnight closure of the US-31 Charlevoix bascule bridge scheduled for Jan. 10 has been cancelled.
• MDOT still expects 15-minute intermittent closures of the bridge from 8 p.m. to midnight on Jan. 10. No detour will be needed during the 15-minute closures.

GAYLORD, Mich. – Due to faster-than-expected work progress, an overnight closure of the US-31 Charlevoix bascule bridge, scheduled for the night of Jan. 10, will not be required and has been cancelled.

As part of a $6.3 million Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) project to replace the US-31 Charlevoix bascule bridge's tread and track components, which are critical to the bridge’s operation, MDOT had expected the bridge would be closed to US-31 traffic overnight from 7 p.m. Jan. 10. to 7 a.m. Jan. 11.

MDOT still expects 15-minute intermittent closures of the bridge from 8 p.m. to midnight on Jan. 10. No detour will be needed during the 15-minute closures.

Additional overnight closures are expected for the bridge between January and April, which will be announced in advance. The exact schedule of all expected closures has not yet been determined. During overnight closures, which will be dependent on weather and work progress, traffic will be detoured on US-31, M-66, M-32, and US-131.

Pedestrians and bicyclists will not be allowed to cross the bridge during the overnight closures. The bridge deck will be an active construction site, with equipment and contractors performing work, making it unsafe to allow pedestrians or bicyclists to cross at those times.

MDOT also expects 15-minute intermittent closures of the bridge between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. the nights of Jan. 18 and 19. Exact dates of those closures are also dependent on weather and work progress, but no detour will be required for those intermittent closures.

For Charlevoix bascule bridge updates on construction and anticipated closures, sign up for email notifications.

At most times, the bridge will be open to two-way traffic. Beginning this month, traffic will be shifted to the west half of the bridge for approximately six weeks. In mid- to late-February, traffic will then be shifted to the east half of the bridge for another six weeks.

During this time, the bridge will be closed to marine traffic in the channel that would require the bridge to open. Work will require unscheduled intermittent closures to vehicle traffic of less than 10 minutes, a shorter duration than typical openings of the bridge for marine traffic.

From mid-April until the project is completed in late May, the channel will reopen to marine traffic while remaining work is finished. The bridge will return to normal operation for vehicle and marine traffic.

The project, which began in late October, also includes work on the bridge railings, electrical components, joints, curbs, and gutters, all with a goal of extending the 74-year-old bridge’s service life and maintain its reliability.

Based on economic modeling, this investment is expected to directly and indirectly support 89 jobs.