WALKER, Mich. — As March arrives in West Michigan, thoughts of spring are intertwined with the anticipation of construction projects. The Greater Grand Rapids area is gearing up for several major construction initiatives, but one significant project is drawing particular attention: the reconstruction of the Fruit Ridge Avenue Bridge in Walker.
The Fruit Ridge Avenue Bridge, built in 1961, has not kept pace with current traffic demands. "For me, when I go to Three Mile, it's probably a good 10 to 15 minutes to get there, wow, just to get across the bridge sometimes," said Greg Wickstorm, a local resident who frequents the bridge often.
This project aims to address those challenges with a complete rebuild of the bridge. Elaina Chase from MDOT explained the project's purpose: "So trying to connect that connectivity to match what's on either side of the bridge, as well as the amount of industry that has gone in on Northridge and in Walker in general, for how much the usage of this ramp is, it was needed."
A public meeting at Walker City Hall on Monday evening informed residents about the $30 million project. The first step will involve the demolition of the existing bridge. "We got to get rid of the old bridge before we can make a new one," said Chase.
The new construction will feature five lanes, a sidewalk on the east side, and a 10-foot-wide non-motorized path on the west side, which will connect to the existing Musketawa Trail.
Residents like Greg are particularly concerned about pedestrian safety. "What's really bad is the pedestrian traffic on the bridge. I mean, they only have about maybe two, three feet… At four in the morning, they're wearing dark clothes. It's hard to see them," he noted.
Bill Stellema, another Walker resident, expressed that the project is long overdue. "I think it's overdue. Way overdue. Should have been done years ago," he said. However, he acknowledged the inconvenience the construction would bring to local traffic.
"I don't think anybody is excited for the inconvenience. It's going to make [the] Walker Road intersection a really, really busy area," he added. "And to go west, you have to go all the way [to] Eighth Avenue and Martin, so it's going to bear a lot of traffic on Walker, and a lot of people are going to be frustrated."
To mitigate these issues, MDOT is preparing for increased traffic volumes. "We anticipate higher traffic volumes, and we have been working with the people who control our signals to try to reduce the amount of backups," Chase said.
Construction is set to begin on March 31 and will continue until November. The community is bracing for traffic delays in the area as workers embark on this essential upgrade.
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
