OKEMOS, Mich. — If you travel along Okemos Road for your daily commute, you may have to take a detour soon.
Starting Feb. 14, construction to replace the 95-year-old Okemos Road bridge over the Red Cedar River will cause traffic to be re-routed.
Southbound traffic will be detoured to Grand River Avenue, Dobie Road and Jolly Road.
Northbound traffic will stay the same through construction except for a short period to accommodate construction staging.
The Okemos Road bridge was built in 1924 and is one of the last remaining concrete bridges of this style in the state. The second steel bridge was built in the 1950s.
According to an Ingham County Road Department public meeting memo, the two existing bridges are "functionally obsolete per current bridge design standards and have reduced structural capacity," which is designated by weight limit signs prior to driving on the bridge. This is "advancing age and normal deterioration" despite maintenance efforts.
Once complete, the single-span bridge will have five lanes, a pedestrian facility on the east side and reconstruction of the Mount Hope Road intersection, traffic signals and a new sidewalk.
Construction updates can be found on the Township Projects section of the township website. For questions or concerns, please call 517.853.4440 or email dpw@meridian.mi.us.
Construction is expected to be complete in November.
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