Work will be done on the Main Street Bridge in Plainwell beginning Monday, June 5. The work that will disrupt traffic is slated to be completed by Friday, Aug. 25, as to limit disruption to school traffic. (Photo provided)
By Jason Wesseldyk
Sports Editor
A grant received from the Michigan Department of Transportation’s Local Bridge Program will allow the City of Plainwell to make repairs at two locations: the Main Street bridge over the Kalamazoo River and the Bridge Street culvert structure over the mill race.
The culvert structure is considered a bridge from a funding standpoint.
These projects are scheduled to be completed between Monday, June 5, and Friday, Aug. 25. This timeline will limit the disruption to school traffic.
Items that don’t impact traffic will continue into the fall.
Bridge Street will be closed to vehicular and pedestrian traffic during the project, with traffic rerouted to Hill Street.
Main Street will be completed in stages to keep it open to traffic during construction. Pedestrian and vehicular traffic will be shifted to the east and west sides of the structure while work is being completed on the opposite side, maintaining two-way traffic throughout the project.
Construction on the Main Street bridge includes concrete patching on the sidewalks, bridge deck and abutments. Waterproofing will be applied after patching work is completed to protect the concrete. Cracking in the concrete beams will also be repaired.
The work is being done to address deterioration of the concrete in those areas that has occurred since the structure was constructed in 1992.
Construction on the Bridge Street culvert includes concrete headwall repairs, fence replacement and reconstruction of the roadway and sidewalks over the structure.
The work is being done to address concrete spalling, sidewalk settlement and other deterioration that has occurred since the structure was constructed in 1975.