Road Commission considers bridges in nine townships for possible state funding

The sign outside the Washtenaw County Road Commission building on Zeeb Road in Scio Township.

Lisa Allmendinger | AnnArbor.com

Bridges in nine townships are part of a preliminary list that Washtenaw County Road Commission officials are considering for submission for 2015 Michigan Department of Transportation local bridge funding.

Only five will be submitted to the state by the May 1 deadline and until those five are chosen, cost estimates for some of the projects are unavailable, according to Road Commission officials.

On the list are:

1. Austin Road Bridge over Bauer Drain in Saline Township, a bridge replacement, at an estimated cost of $700,000.

2. McGregor Road Bridge over Portage Lake Canal in Dexter Township, a bridge replacement at an estimated cost of $1.4 million.

3. Wiard Road Bridge over Tyler Road in Ypsilanti Township, a bridge replacement, and there is no cost replacement for this project yet.

4. Zeeb Road Bridge over the Huron River in Scio Township, a rehabilitation project, estimated at $1 million.

5. Dixboro Bridge in Ann Arbor Township, Mast Road Bridge in Webster Township and North Territorial Road Bridge in Dexter Township, rehabilitation funding, with no estimated costs yet.

6. Liberty Road Bridge over Mill Creek in Lima Township, replacement funding at an estimated cost of $550,000.

7. Sharon Valley Road Bridge over River Raisin in Sharon Township, replacement funding at an estimated cost of $950,000.

8. Dennison Road Bridge over the Saline River in York Township, a replacement project, at an estimated cost of $550,000.

9. Stony Creek Bridge over the Paint Creek in Ypsilanti Township, a replacement project with no estimated cost.

10. Saline-Milan Road over the Koch Drain in York Township, a replacement project with no estimated costs.

These projects are thought to have the best chance of receiving state funding. Each road agency is allowed to submit five bridge projects and each must be at least 20-feet long to meeting the state’s definition of a bridge.

If selected, the state’s Local Bridge program picks up 95 percent of the construction costs while the Road Commission will be responsible for the design, right-of-way, construction engineering and local match for construction costs.

It's expected that the Road Commission will make its final decision on the top five bridges next month.

Lisa Allmendinger is a regional reporter for AnnArbor.com, who also covers the Washtenaw County Road Commission. She can be reached at lisaallmendinger@annarbor.com.

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