NEWS - Overnight US-31 bascule bridge closures in Charlevoix to begin March 27

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                  MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017

 

CONTACT: James Lake, MDOT Office of Communications, 906-250-0993,               lakej1@michigan.gov

 

Overnight US-31 bascule bridge closures in Charlevoix to begin March 27

 

March 6, 2017 -- As part of the Michigan Department of Transportation's (MDOT) ongoing repair work on the US-31 bascule bridge in Charlevoix, 12 overnight closures will begin Monday, March 27.

            The bridge will be locked in the up, or open, position during the closures, preventing any US-31 traffic from using the bridge. The closures, scheduled for 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. nightly from March 27 to April 7 barring any unforeseen circumstances, will require an official detour of through-traffic via M-66, M-32, and US-131 through East Jordan, Boyne Falls, and Petoskey.

            "We know these closures will be an inconvenience to motorists, which is why we've worked with the City of Charlevoix, local employers, and local emergency services agency to schedule them at a time to minimize the impact," said MDOT Gaylord Transportation Service Center (TSC) Construction Engineer Ben Gowell. "We're working with our contractor, Anlaan Corp., to give everyone as much notice as we can in advance of the detour."

            The work is part of a $1.9 million investment to repair the bridge substructure and steel, as well as upgrade the electrical and mechanical components. The project also includes replacing the traffic warning gates and the electrical switches needed to ensure the bridge operates smoothly and properly, reconstructing the bridge approaches, and painting the steel superstructure. Work began in early January, and is on schedule for completion by May 25.

            Project map: http://bit.ly/2mVdpcy.

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