Historic Southwest Michigan Bridge To Be Moved

wsjm949depend-2016-40
wsjm949depend-2016-40

A historic bridge that’s the last of its kind in Michigan is going to be replaced by a new span that’ll be the first of its kind in the state. The Elkhart Truth reports that the Michigan Department of Transportation plans to begin removing the M-86 bridge over the Prairie River near Centreville
on July 18. It’ll be relocated to Cass County. In its place, the department will build a new 104-foot bridge that’ll be the first in the state to include carbon fiber composite strand reinforcement. It’ll be the second span in the state to include concrete T-beams. The department says pairing the bulb T-beams and the carbon fiber strands will reduce concrete cracking, deterioration and corrosion common in traditional steel-reinforced bridges. The $4.9 million project is scheduled for completion in November 2017.