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The Michigan Department of Transportation restarted a project Tuesday on M-26 to replace bridges over the east and west branches of the Firesteel River. Some earth work was done last fall before construction was halted for the winter. It poses some interesting challenges for planners due to the lack of good detour routes. MDOT’s Dan Weingarten says the agency has solved that problem by building new spans next to the existing bridges. Traffic continues on the available infrastructure until replacements are finished. The work should be done by the fall, and MDOT will reroute the road so that it connects to the bridges.
While construction is going on, there will be a need for some flag control. That will reduce the bridges to one lane and could cause some backups. Weingarten says the existing spans have gone beyond their expected useful life.
The old bridges will be demolished next spring. The work is in Ontonagon County near Greenland Township.
