Over the past few months, the contractor has been busy working on the new WB/NB bridge over the Black Creek on US-31BR. They have completed all bridge work required in this stage including all hot mix asphalt paving in preparation to start shifting traffic onto the new bridge. They have also installed all shoulder gravel and completed installation of top soil on the outside slopes of WB/NB US-31BR.
In the coming weeks the contractor will complete all guardrail work and restoration work on the NB/WB outside shoulder and will be shifting traffic into stage 3, to begin demolition work on the EB/SB structure. After demolition work is complete the contractor will start installing steel sheet piling and begin to install the bridge foundation piles. Note: The contractor and MDOT have came to agreements on working on this structure through the winter in order to have both bridges complete and open to traffic prior to the fourth of July next year. Moving the open to traffic date up by approximately 5 months for this bridge. This winter work has been coordinated with local maintenance staff to ensure winter maintenance can be performed properly throughout the winter months.
Maintenance of traffic for this upcoming work will consist of single lane closures on WB/NB and EB/SB from US-31 to Hoyt Street and EB/SB US-31BR will be crossed over onto the newly constructed WB/NB US-31BR roadway and bridge. Getty Street will remain closed and all traffic will be directed to utilize what’s called the “Airline Connector” which is just to the NW of Getty and Airline Hwy.
UPCOMING: US-31BR is schedule to be shifted into stage 3 which consists of single lane closures as noted above and EB/SB traffic being crossed over onto the newly constructed WB/NB roadway on Monday November 13. This traffic shift is weather dependent.
The work is part of a $10M project to replace the US-31BR bridges over Black Creek. This is a 2-year project with the first bridge replacement taking place between May and November 2023 and the Second bridge replacement taking place from November 2023 to July 2024.
