FERRYSBURG, Mich. — Smith's Bayou Bridge has been in place fore more than 150 years old in the city of Ferrysburg.
After years of back and forth over the state of the bridge, funding has finally been secured.
Thanks to a nearly $12 million grant from the state of Michigan, the city will make some necessary repairs.
The grant comes through with help from Congresswoman Hillary Scholten, who helped secure the funding through MDOT's local agency Bridge Bundling program.
"[Scholten] got $11.7 million for this bridge," said Craig Bessinger, city manager for Ferrysburg. "And that will replace the superstructure, leaving the piers, then replacing the top. And so, design and construction engineer is not included in that cost, but funding that portion of it is."
MDOT is helping to fund the bridge after COVID-19 money that was budgeted for the city was returned to the federal government.
Smith's Bridge has had its fair share of scares over the years, after the bridge was closed back in 2019.
The bridge reopened with a weight limit because its significance to the city cannot be overstated.
"The bridge has been vital to get from the east side of the state to our city," Bessinger said. "With that bridge, it saves on response times for emergency personnel to get to that side of the city.”
The former mayor of Ferrysburg, Rebecca Hopp, helped get the work going on the bridge nearly seven years ago with the Bridge Bundling initiative. She sees the use nearly every day.
"There's really no slow time on the bridge," Hopp said. "There's busier times during business hours that people will use it, but you can always see traffic going across the bridge.”
The last renovations to Smith's Bayou Bridge came in 2008. Residents like Ulrich Kuester are ready to see the bridge fully repaired.
“It's just a beautiful location, great bridge, super practical," Kuester said. "Not just going to work and back but taking a bike path, taking a bike around the lake.”
The city tells FOX 17 the bridge is expected to close by the fall of 2026 for these repairs, and the project could take two to three years.
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