Michigan bridges need millions in repair funding, MDOT officials say
Michigan officials are sounding the alarm on the need for funding, saying it could cost hundreds of millions to fix and maintain the bridges millions of Michiganders cross every day.
"We are looking at the potential for having to close bridges in the next 10 to 20 years unless we get additional funding," said Rebecca Curtis, chief bridge engineer for the Michigan Department of Transportation.
MDOT says that about two-thirds of Michigan's bridges have already outlived their original design life of 50 to 60 years, and Michigan's aging infrastructure is causing a critical need for more investment.
"Our aging inventory, the fact that the condition deteriorates over time, and that our inflation has been higher than new revenue — we're finding that we're unable to keep up with the deterioration," Curtis said. "We are looking at about 100 bridges in the next 10 years that are at high risk of closure."
The state tracks the conditions of every bridge in the state, and more than 100 of them are in poor condition.
MDOT says those bridges in poor condition could close by 2035, impacting nearly 2 million commuters daily if a comprehensive transportation funding package isn't secured.
"We are estimating that we need an additional $400 million each year for trunkline investment and around $200 million a year for our local agency bridges," Curtis said.