Delays May Shut Down Cut River Bridge Work

The Cut River Bridge could be reopened to traffic this summer if engineering delays shut down the renovation and move it into next year.

The $1.8 million bridge project began in May and was scheduled to be completed by October, but Michigan Department of Transportation spokesmen say they are recalculating the weight loads of construction materials and equipment that will be on the bridge once the deck is removed. Changing specifications may force the contractor to reschedule the project for next summer, if it can't be completed this year.

If that happens, traffic could resume on the bridge until the project can be continued next spring. A decision has not yet been made, however.

The construction issue is safety related, said James Lake of MDOT. Engineers want to make sure that construction crews are working in a safe environment as the deck is removed.

The 641-foot-long bridge spans the Cut River on US-2 in Hendricks Township and was dedicated in 1948. Work includes replacing the cantilever bridge's steel deck superstructure, upgrading guardrails, and paving the east and west approaches to the bridge. The historic sandstone portions of the bridge also will be repaired, along with the walking path that leads from the bridge to the river and Lake Michigan below.

The contractor for the project is Anlaan Corporation of Spring

Lake.