Old Carp River Bridge To Be Replaced in 2010
By Amy Polk

The Carp River Bridge in St. Ignace Township, shown here Friday, January 18, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999. The bridge has been targeted by the Michigan Department of Transportation for replacement in 2010. The bridge was completed in 1920.

Two Mackinac County bridges are scheduled for major construction projects in the next two years.

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) will replace the Cut River Bridge deck in Hendricks Township this year, causing a detour around that section of US-2 during the summer construction season. The historic Carp River Bridge was selected by MDOT for replacement by the Mackinac County Road Commission in 2010. The aging bridge is on Mackinac Trail in St. Ignace Township, and spans the Carp River below.

The Carp River Bridge is one of only two, state-recognized historic bridges in Mackinac County. The other is the Cut River. Pickford's Rutledge Road Bridge, a historic pony truss bridge, was replaced last year.

The Carp River Bridge was built in 1920, and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999. According to MDOT, the bridge is considered part of the state's history, following the Trunk Line Act of 1913, which authorized the formation of a trunk line system of roads. Soon after the act was passed, a route was established through Mackinac and Chippewa counties, designed to link the Straits of Mackinac to Sault Ste. Marie. Mackinac Trail became a major roadway through the Eastern Upper Peninsula, and the Carp River Bridge was part of that system. It features characteristic construction from the 1910s, including its 60- foot concrete arch, cobblestone retaining walls, and decorative guardrails.

Nearing 100 years old, the bridge was selected as one of Michigan's "Critical Bridge" list replacement projects because of its age and position along a "higher traffic route," Mackinac County Road Commission Manager Karrie Abbitt said. MDOT selects projects for the state's Critical Bridge funding that will receive state funding, and local townships are expected to provide a portion of the cost to replace or repair the bridge. The "Critical Bridge" program is now called the Local Bridge Program. Rutledge Road Bridge was replaced under the same program.

Mackinac County Road Commission elected in December to seek bids for the project and notify St. Ignace Township. The township will be asked to pay 5% the construction cost and all engineering costs.

St. Ignace Township Supervisor Dale Nelson told commissioners Tuesday night, January 15, he is not sure St. Ignace Township can afford to participate in the project. The township collects two mills from taxpayers for roads, which generates about $50,000 a year, he said, so the township contribution is limited.

The $1.8 million Cut River project is expected to start in May and continue through August, when a portion of US-2 will be closed. MDOT and Mackinac County Road Commission are developing a detour for eastbound and westbound travelers along US-2. They are planning to reroute traffic from the intersection of US-2 and Prater Boulevard, using Prater Boulevard and Cut River Road as the detour route. MDOT has said it will reinforce the detour route's roads to accommodate the increased highway traffic. MDOT estimates approximately 4,200 vehicles cross the Cut River Bridge daily.

The Cut River project is one of nine MDOT jobs announced at the January 15 review of Mackinac County Road Commission's fiveyear roads plan. John Batchelder of the Michigan Department of Transportation's Newberry Transportation Service Center attended the meeting and described some of the work. The Newberry TSC is in charge of state highway corridors in Chippewa, Luce, and Mackinac counties.

Mr. Batchelder called the Cut River project a "historic restoration project," referring to its 1947 construction. The bridge is one of only two cantilevered deck truss bridges in Michigan. It is 641 feet long and arches high over the Cut River. The bridge is made with 888 tons of structural steel, according to MDOT.

Two other MDOT projects slated for Mackinac County are both near Naubinway, along US-2. One is a chip-seal application to help preserve the pavement between Boucha and Borgstrom roads, and will cost $1.31 million. The second is a preventive maintenance project, including joint replacement and zone painting on US-2 at the bridge over Millecoquins River, at a cost of $131,307 million.

In Chippewa County, MDOT will complete a $338,000 improvement to M-80 at a railroad crossing in Kinross Township. Also in Chippewa County, approximately one-half mile of I-75, south of M- 129 and to the north of 16th Avenue, will have its concrete joints "milled and filled" at a cost of $192,000.

Between 2008 and 2012, MDOT plans to study access in and around Sault Ste. Marie. A team has been formed to complete the work, and includes Chippewa County Planning Commission and Road Commission, MDOT, Soo Township, and City of Sault Ste. Marie representatives. The group will review capacity and safety concerns identified in and around the city.

The four MDOT projects in Luce County include a double chip-seal application on M-117, south of M- 28 to the Mackinac County line, at a cost of $276,000, a $200,000 railroad crossing improvement to M- 123 north of Railroad Street in the village of Newberry, and a $465,000 culvert replacement and bridge work job along M-123 at Murphy Creek. The biggest project is a $2.98-million crushing and shaping of a seven-mile section of M-28, from M-123 to Borgstrom Road.