Lansing, MI – On June 3rd, Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced the reopening of the Byron Street bridge over the Black River to traffic. This is the fifth bridge repaired this year under Governor Whitmer’s and the Michigan Department of Transportation’s (MDOT) Rebuilding MI Bridges program. 

"The reopening of the Byron Road bridge is something for drivers in Ottawa County to celebrate. Thanks to our hard work, we are moving dirt to fix roads and bridges across Michigan to keep drivers safe and save them time and money," 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 materials, 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 efforts through the Rebuilding MI Bridges program continue to make progress, this time on the Byron Road bridge over the Black River. 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." 

"The bridge bundling program has been a very collaborative effort between MDOT, local agency bridge owners, and other stakeholders, especially for this key bridge crossing in Ottawa County," said Brett Laughlin, managing director of the Ottawa County Road Commission. "It is a vital route for residential and commercial use, so making these needed repairs is essential for the community. We are hopeful the Legislature will continue the program to offer an efficient and economical solution to improve the bridge infrastructure throughout the state.” 

Rebuilding MI Bridges Project Updates:  

Major repairs on several other local agency bridges continue this month as the pilot project moves forward. Six bridge bundling projects started in March and April. Five are now largely complete. All bridges encompassed by the program will be completed and reopened to traffic within 60 or 90 days from the start of repairs. 

- Repairs on the Mason Road bridge over the south branch of the Shiawassee River in Livingston County began May 31.  

- Rebuilding of the Tallman Road bridge over the Maple River in Clinton County is set to begin Monday.  

About the Rebuilding MI Bridges Program: 

The Rebuilding MI Bridges pilot program, the first of its kind in Michigan, will repair 19 bridges owned by local agencies in serious or critical condition. Each bridge will have its superstructure replaced, which includes full removal and replacement of the bridge deck and supporting beams.  

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.  

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 program’s online dashboard at?Michigan.gov/BridgeBundling?provides project updates and shows percent completion, detour routes, and other information for each of these projects.  

The remaining 11 bridges to be rebuilt this year under the pilot project are: 

Rebuilding MI Bridges Program Phase II: 

$196 million in federal COVID relief funds appropriated by Governor 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