U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg visited the River Raisin Bridge in Monroe County, one of the bridges included in a new report from the Biden-Harris Administration that lists 18 of the most economically significant bridges that are being rebuilt or repaired.
The Interstate 75 River Raisin Bridge was first completed in 1955. Wear and tear have caused the bridge to deteriorate over time, and it's about to get a transformation thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
"Bridges are just part of the 66,000 projects and counting getting support through the infrastructure package just in Michigan alone, $13.4 billion going out of over 1000 projects making life easier and more convenient for people across the state," said Buttigieg in a statement.
The I-75 River Raisin Bridge links Detroit and Toledo, with more than 61,000 vehicles using the bridge every day.
"This stretch of I-75 has about 25% commercial traffic, which means it's significant in terms of commerce, not just for Detroit, but internationally, with the rest of the country," said Greg Brunner, chief operations officer for the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT).
If the bridge isn't restored, it could have a major impact on Michigan's economy, according to Robert Clark, Mayor of Monroe.
"If the bridge was not replaced and closed, it would lead to a loss of approximately $58 million in gross regional product and $129 million in loss of Michigan business and output sales,” he said.
More than $196 million in federal funding was awarded to the state to help replace the bridge.
"There's actually six core bridges within this area that are going to be addressed as part of this project. And in addition to that, there's going to be interchange improvements as well to improve the safety," Brunner said.
With changes coming soon to our nation's capital Secretary Buttigieg says this announcement is the Biden administration's statement of confidence in the project.
"I can't speak for any administration but the one that I serve in, but what I can say is that this is a deserving project and ought to be seen through all the way to when they cut the ribbon," Buttigieg said.
With this grant approval, MDOT can now start the planning phase of the project. The project is estimated to start in 2028.
Source: CBS News, Acppubs.com
