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Iosco County’s Alabaster Road bridge replaced as part of MDOT local agency bridge bundling program
November 14, 2024
LANSING, Mich. - The Alabaster Road bridge over Whitney Creek in Iosco County, under construction since this spring, was completed and reopened to traffic Nov. 13 as the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) bridge bundling program continues to support local agencies working to improve bridge conditions.
The bridge was part of Phase Three of this innovative program to assist local road agencies. The $2.1 million project also received federal emergency relief funds in the wake of an earlier storm event.
"It's been a long journey in getting the new bridge built," said Bruce Bolen, engineer-manager for the Iosco County Road Commission. "The old bridge was taken out by a wall of water during a major flooding event in May 2020. The funding to rebuild the bridge through the local agency bridge bundling program was absolutely critical and very much appreciated. Without this funding, Alabaster Road would have remained closed at Whitney Creek for a very long time. Completion of the bridge will eliminate the lengthy detour that all users of the bridge currently endure."
MDOT continues to work on Phase Two and Three bridge bundling projects in collaboration with local agency bridge owners, delivering critical projects on the local system across the state.
In addition to the Alabaster Road bridge, Phase Three also includes bridge bundles that will be let for bids in 2024, 2025 and 2026. A complete schedule is available at www.Michigan.gov/BridgeBundling.
Bridge bundling, which packages several bridge locations under one contract, streamlines coordination and permitting, increases economies of scale and improves bridge conditions on local routes around the state. In October, MDOT was awarded competitive federal grant funding, allowing additional bridge bundle projects to be built to further improve local bridge conditions.
Over the past four years, this program has delivered 27 bridge replacements and removals to boost the overall safety of the transportation network in Michigan. Coordination and collaboration among MDOT, consultants and local agency owners has been critical to the program's success. Through its consultants, MDOT provided scoping, planning, environmental clearance, design, construction and inspection services without any cost to the local agencies.
The Alabaster Road bridge in Iosco County was under construction earlier this year as part of the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) local agency bridge bundling program. (Photo by RS Scott & Associates)
The Alabaster Road bridge reopened Wednesday. Destroyed in a flood event, it was replaced as part of the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) local agency bridge bundling program. (Photo by RS Scott & Associates)
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