KENT COUNTY (WHTC-AM/FM) — Seven damaging high-load hits this year on the 100th Street bridge — the bridge over US-131 in southern Kent County – -has inspired the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) to make plans for a bridge upgrade.
The project, tentatively scheduled for 2020, will start with restoration in both directions of traffic by Memorial Day, followed by a resurfacing project on US-131 that will involve removing a few inches of the pavement to increase the clearance under the bridge, state officials said.
Last January, two oversized loads struck and damaged the north and south fascia beams, according to an MDoT statement. Both beams were removed and 100th Street has been restricted to eastbound traffic only.
The minimal legal height of any bridge in Michigan is 13 feet 6 inches; any truck carrying loads higher than that require a state permit.
