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*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE * 

September 8, 2022 

Contact: [email protected] 

 

*Gov. Whitmer Announces 3 Major Bridge Projects in Berrien, Clinton and Ingham Counties Completed 2 Months Ahead of Schedule* 

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*LANSING, Mich. - *Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced the reopening of three bridges in Berrien, Clinton, and Ingham Counties after construction crews completed necessary repairs and replacement. The bridges include Linn Road bridge in Ingham County, Tallman Road bridge in Clinton County, and M-140 bridge in Berrien County, which was completed almost two months ahead of schedule. 

 

"The reopening of these three bridges two months ahead of schedule will help people get to where they need to go and will build on our efforts to move 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 to 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. The projects we’re moving forward with will support good-paying jobs and deliver on an issue that matters to us all—safe, reliable infrastructure. Let’s get it done." 

 

*Linn Road Bridge over Deer Creek in Ingham County* 

The Linn Road bridge over Deer Creek reopened after about 60 days of major repair work. The bridge near Williamston, built in 1968, was in serious condition before the repairs. The project was completed under Governor Whitmer’s Rebuilding Our Bridges program. 

 

“With the completion of the Linn Road Bridge, Governor Whitmer’s Rebuilding Our Bridges program has delivered results for yet another Michigan community," said *Tom Lutz, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights*. “Our members all across the state are proud to be rebuilding the bridges and infrastructure that we all depend on.” 

 

“The Linn Road bridge was in serious condition and in need of major repairs. I’m thrilled that the bridge is repaired and open to traffic,” said *State Representative Julie Brixie (D-Meridian Township)*. “I applaud Governor Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Transportation for moving dirt and fixing our damn roads and bridges, not just in big cities but across small towns and in the country all over Michigan.”  

  

“Governor Whitmer understands the importance of modernizing our infrastructure at all levels, which means not just our highways, but roads and bridges in smaller communities across the state,” said* State Representative Kara Hope (D-Hope).* “I am excited to see continued investment in projects important to the mid-Michigan community, like the Linn Road bridge.”   

 

Workers rebuilding the bridge.

 

*Tallman Road Bridge over Maple River in Clinton County * 

The Tallman Road bridge over Maple River northwest of Lansing reopened September 2 after major repair work to replace its superstructure. The bridge, built in 1969, was in serious condition before the repairs. The project was completed under Governor Whitmer’s Rebuilding Our Bridges program. 

 

“Opening the Tallman Road bridge on schedule and in time to accommodate fall agricultural harvest traffic is a significant benefit to the local farms and communities in both Clinton and Gratiot counties,” said* Mark Trotter the director of engineering for the Clinton County Road Commission*. “The Village of Maple Rapids will be especially happy to see the bridge open. With the nearest bridge crossing being in the residential area of the village, they accommodated a large volume of detour traffic throughout the summer.” 

 

Workers rebuilding the Tallman Road Bridge.

 

*M-140 Bridge Over the Paw Paw Lake Outlet in Berrien County * 

MDOT wrapped up its $800,000 investment to repair the M-140 bridge over the Paw Paw Lake Outlet near Watervliet in Berrien County [ [link removed] ] almost two months ahead of schedule. 

   

The project included rebuilding the bridge deck and repairing the abutments and piers. There still is some work to complete off the roadway, such as turf establishment and silt fence removal, but nothing that will require lane or bridge closures. 

 

M-140 bridge is reopened to traffic after repair work

 

*About Rebuilding Our Bridges* 

The Michigan Department of Transportation’s (MDOT) Rebuilding Our 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 within 60 or 90 days from the start of repairs, which includes full removal and replacement of the bridge deck and supporting beams. To date, 13 local agency bridge bundling projects are now largely finished, with work on six others ongoing. 

 

The pilot program is only the first phase of the bridge bundling initiative. With $196 million in funding appropriated by Governor Whitmer and the legislature, MDOT is planning to execute Phase II of the bridge bundling program, beginning planning and development 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.  

  

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. 

 

*Rebuilding Michigan’s Roads and Bridges * 

By the end of this year, Governor Whitmer will have fixed, repaired, or replaced more than 16,000 lane miles of road and 1,200 bridges, supporting more than 89,000 jobs without raising taxes by a dime. These and future repairs are made possible by the Rebuilding Michigan plan [ [link removed] ], a five-year, $3.5 billion investment in our highways and bridges, and the bipartisan Building Michigan Together Plan [ [link removed] ], the largest one-time investment in Michigan's infrastructure in state history. These strategic investments in Michigan's infrastructure ensure that future Michiganders will have safer roads and bridges to run errands, travel, and strengthen the economy.  

 

Learn more about the Whitmer-Gilchrist Administration’s historic infrastructure investments by clicking on the following link: Infrastructure Accomplishments [ [link removed] ].  

 

*Infrastructure Investments in the FY 2023 Budget* 

Governor Whitmer’s fourth balanced and bipartisan budget [ [link removed] ] expands on the investments in the bipartisan Building Michigan Together Plan signed in April by speeding up replacement of lead service lines, reducing traffic congestion at local rail crossings, improving state fish hatcheries, and funding long-overdue maintenance projects at state facilities. 

 

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