The beams are in, the damn is out and work on the new Dexter Main Street is quickly coming to a head. Workers are expected to begin pouring concrete soon so they can open up the first half of the new bridge in about two weeks.
"We're in the process of forming up the new deck," says Aaron Berkholz, construction superintendent with the Washtenaw County Road Commission.
That's construction speak for they're making preparations to pour the concrete road portion of the bridge. Once it is poured and has dried for a little more than a week, half of the bridge will reopen to traffic in both directions.
Then the Road Commission will begin working on the other half of the bridge, which they expect to be travel ready by November. Some painting and landscaping work will be done in the spring to finish off the project.
The Mill Creek Bridge is begin replaced because the old one was, well, falling apart. Potholes were forming in pothole patching on the old bridge and the almost 100-year-old dam underneath ceased to serve a useful purpose.
The county is replacing the bridge and removing the dam as part of a multi-million-dollar project. It will also significantly alter an adjacent pond, opening up the sediment-filled area into a river walk-style park.
The new bridge will accommodate both motorized and non-motorized traffic. There will still be two-lanes for car, along with bike lanes and sidewalks for pedestrians.
Source: Aaron Berkholz, construction superintendent with the Washtenaw County Road Commission
Writer: Jon Zemke
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