The Michigan Department of Transportation will begin a bridge rehabilitation project for two area overpasses in September, which will result in lane closures on the US-31 Colby Street exit and an offramp closure on northbound US-31. Whitehall mayor Tom Ziemer shared some information on the project at Tuesday's city council meeting.
The work, a $2.8 million project, will consist of bridge deck patching, substructure improvements, expansion joint replacement, painting, approach work and full depth patching throughout four overpass bridges - two over Colby Street and two more over Walsh Road in Montague. Work will begin Tuesday, Sept. 8 and last all through November, said MDOT regional communications director John Richard.
During the project, drivers on US-31, both northbound and southbound, will see lane closures, though the highway will not be fully closed at any point. The offramp on northbound US-31 at the Colby Street exit, Exit 128, will, however, be closed during the project, as will a portion of Walsh Road.
Richard said that unlike the needed repair work on the White Lake Drive overpass that unexpectedly began earlier this year due to a pothole opening up on the bridge and will resume next spring, this project is a scheduled one and has been on the department's five-year plan. The public can view future projects on that plan at michigan.gov/mdot/programs/planning/five-year-transportation-program.
"It's a basic bridge rehabilitation of four structures over Colby and Holton Whitehall Road, northbound and southbound," Richard said, adding regarding the White Lake overpass, "We have bridges all over the region (that need work). They say we have 10 bridges we have to chase every year because we have to patch them and limp along until the full projects are scheduled."
Richard noted that updates on lane closures and other projects currently in progress can be found at Michigan.gov/Drive.
