Southbound Okemos bridge closes

Print More

The Southbound structure of the Okemos bridge closed for reconstruction on Feb. 14.

Okemos traffic will be detoured through Dobie Road, Jolly Road and Grand River Avenue. Construction on the southbound structure will take place in July, according to Ingham County Road Engineer Eric Burns. 

“We’ll switch the northbound traffic to the southbound side and then remove and demolish the northbound structure over the Red Cedar River. Then, we will build the other half of the Okemos Road structure,” he said.

An 8.75 million dollar project funded by the state of Michigan and their Department of Transportation, both sides of the bridge will be rebuilt for better infrastructure. Along with bridge renovations, more traffic signals will be installed as well as a new pedestrian walkway and sidewalk.

Burns said that the bridge is narrow by today’s standards, and that the 98-year-old 2-structure bridge will be rebuilt as a 5-lane single structure. The new bridge will be able to carry the heavy loads of weight that are legal in Michigan. 

“Building bridges and building roads takes time, especially since we’re starting in February. We’re trying to get this done and completed by November,” he said. 

Bridge construction and detours will continue until November 2022. 

Comments are closed.