The Independence Bridge in Bay City, Mich., will close in January to allow crews to replace the bascule span deck grating, span stringers and sidewalks.
The project, funded through federal, state and local money, will top $1.45 million.
Construction is expected to be completed at the end of March 2018. During construction, traffic will be diverted to the Liberty Bridge.
Official estimates project repairs to both the Independence Bridge and Liberty Bridge will cost $9 million over the next seven years.
The Bay City Commission was scheduled to vote on a proposal this month that would have privatized the bridges, but the item was removed from the agenda after public resistance.
United Bridge Partners proposed paying the city $1 million for the Independence Bridge and the Liberty Bridge, whereby the firm would take over and build a new Independence Bridge while making repairs to Liberty Bridge. The firm would fund all construction and repair costs, and then charge motorists a toll to cross the bridges after the improvements.
A number of bridge repair projects are planned in Bay City, including a $42.5 million project in 2020 to reconstruct the Lafayette Bridge.
