MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - The Ingham County Road Department has begun its reconstruction of the Okemos Road bridge over the Red Cedar River between Mt. Hope Road and Clinton Street.

Construction began February 14th and will finalize in November of 2022.

The new bridge will be a 5 lane, single span bridge including pedestrian facility along the east side. This is very different from the previous existing northbound and southbound structures.

Along with the bridge replacement and Mt. Hope intersection reconstruction, traffic signal and sidewalk/ramp reconstruction will also be taking place.

Assistant Township Manager and Director of Public Works, Dan Opsommer, said, “Construction is going as well as can be expected so far. This is a very challenging infrastructure project due to the absence of good detours. About 25,000 vehicles use this stretch of Okemos Rd every day. We recognize and empathize with the fact that this will be a very difficult construction season for everyone in Meridian Township. We are working with the Ingham County Road Department and MDOT to do what we can to help keep everyone safe and improve traffic patterns for everyone involved. We continue to monitor traffic patterns closely and look for ways to improve mobility for everyone."

Road detours will continue until November 2022 as well. Southbound Okemos Road traffic will be detoured via Grand River Avenue, Dobie Road, and Jolly Road.

Northbound Okemos Road traffic will be maintained throughout construction except for a brief period to accommodate construction staging.

The pedestrian truss on the west side of Okemos Road will remain in place, however pedestrian traffic may be restricted during periods of construction.

Opsommer said, “The old bridges were structurally failing. The southbound bridge is 63 years old and the camelback bridge was built in 1924, so it’s nearly 100 years old. Rebar and concrete only last so long, and the bridges have met the end of their life expectancy.The new bridge will look like the old historic camelback bridge to maintain this piece of history in our community. The lanes will be slightly wider and it will be one bridge instead of two to make it a safer driving experience. The new bridge will have a pedestrian crossing on the east side and a sidewalk underneath so residents can safely walk to and from Wonch and Ferguson Park. This will be a great addition to our parks system.”

For more information on the Okemos Road Bridge reconstruction visit the website below.