MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - Construction on the Okemos Road bridge over the Red Cedar River near the Mt. Hope intersection begins on today, March 21st.

Repairs are being made to the bridge after an inspection was done just before last winter that showed it was deteriorating. While the inspection was done a few months ago, the weather and obtainment of necessary materials such as securing a contractor and putting the project up for bid delayed the start of construction.

The cost of this repair project is $250,000.

Motorists are being asked to avoid the area until construction is complete and detours will be posted. Northbound lanes on Okemos Road will be closed during the construction.

"Keep in mind the detour is such that southbound Okemos Road traffic, which, in that area comes from several directions, it will be maintained by transferring it over to the northbound side and back to the appropriate side of Okemos Road," said Bill Conklin, Managing Director of the Ingham County Road Department.

The bridge is nearly 60-years-old and Conklin said repair to the bridge has been on the Ingham County Road Department's long-term plans to replace the entire bridge. However, due to funding and bridge needs outweighed available funding every fiscal year, the department hasn't been able to fully replace the bridge yet.

"This repair work had to be moved up in order to keep the bridge surface-able until it can be fully replace in hopefully several years," Conklin said.

Conklin said he expects this detour to add about 10 to 15 minutes to total trip time depending on traffic conditions.

The roadwork is expected to be completed by early June.