WALKER, Mich. — In Walker, residents are both looking forward to and dreading the replacement of the Fruit Ridge Avenue Bridge over I-96. The bridge, built in 1961, is showing significant signs of aging, leading to this major construction project, slated to last until November.
The bridge is scheduled to close Monday, March 31, at 7 a.m.
"There's been a lot of spot repair that's been done," said Walker City Engineer Scott Conners, "and I think that's why the urgency came to at least replace the deck, or come up with all the money that we could to replace the entire interchange."
Walker has seen growth around the I-96 interchange, particularly with new businesses developing north of the highway.
"I think the construction is going to be really, really hard for a lot of the local businesses and for a lot of the travelers," Conners noted. "There's a lot of businesses on Fruitridge and Northridge that depend on this access."
To accommodate the increased traffic during the construction, the main detour will guide drivers along Walker Avenue, 3 Mile, and 4 Mile roads. The intersection of Walker and 4 Mile was reconstructed last year to handle this expected surge in vehicles.
There will be times when the ramp access will be closed as the interchange undergoes reconstruction. During most of the project, the ramp from Fruit Ridge to I-96 eastbound will be closed.
Bridge demolition is scheduled from 7 p.m. Friday, April 4, until about 6 a.m. Monday, April 7. Traffic on I-96 will be rerouted using the ramps, and drivers should expect delays since the exits and entrances do not align. Additionally, 3 Mile Road will be closed from Friday night through Sunday night for detoured traffic.
This bridge replacement project is drawing considerable attention, especially given its unusual funding. It carries an estimated cost of $30 million, with $25 million sourced from a line item in state legislation passed earlier this year. This initiative is a collaboration between the Michigan Department of Transportation and the City of Walker.
The new bridge will feature five lanes, compared to the existing two, and will include separate walking and biking paths linking to the Musketawa Trail.
All construction is set to wrap up by early November.
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Follow FOX 17: Facebook - X (formerly Twitter) - Instagram - YouTube
