MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - An issue with utility relocation delayed construction on the Okemos Road Bridge between Mt. Hope Rd. and Clinton St., but progress is back up and running.

At a special meeting on Mar. 8, the Meridian Township Board approved a waiver allowing construction on Sundays from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm. The extra work time granted will help the Township get back on schedule following the delay.

Utility relocation finally finished up on Mar. 11 and construction began the next day. Nashville Construction, the company taking on the Okemos Road Bridge project, has completely removed all metal barrier railings. Removal of the middle span of the concrete bridge is expected to be completed this week.

The existing Northbound and Southbound structures will be replaced with a single five-lane, single-span bridge, along with a walkway for pedestrians on the east side.

Southbound Okemos Rd. traffic will be detoured to Grand River Ave., Dobie Rd. and Jolly Rd. The detour will remain through November of this year. Northbound traffic will resume as normal except for a brief period for construction staging. The pedestrian truss will remain on the west side, however it may be occasionally closed for periods of construction.

According to the Meridian Township website, "Nashville Construction plans on removing the middle span of the reinforced concrete bridge deck in the next week. After removing the reinforced concrete bridge deck of the middle span, Nashville Construction will then remove the steel beams from the middle span. After the middle span steel beams are removed, Nashville Construction will begin installing the steel sheeting for the removal of the two existing reinforced concrete pier cofferdams. Nashville Construction will then remove the North and South reinforced concrete bridge deck tail spans of the bridge. Nashville Construction will then remove the steel beams from the tail spans and will finish installing the steel sheeting for the cofferdams for the removal of the two reinforced concrete piers. They will then proceed to remove the two reinforced concrete piers and the two cofferdams."

Further updates on the project can be found at the Meridian Township website linked below.