• The bridge has been under repair since summer 2023.
• MDOT hopes it can be back open to vehicles by Memorial Day weekend.
• Crews are working on necessary upgrades to the 90-year-old structure.
A historic drawbridge in downtown Manistee should be back open to vehicle traffic by Memorial Day weekend.
The bascule bridge along U.S. 31 is more than 90 years old.
And it’s not just another stretch of road, says Michigan Department of Transportation spokesman James Lake. It’s a complex machine.
“That complexity, coupled with the bridge’s age … requires a lot of work,” Lake said.
Work on the bridge has been underway since last summer. At various times it’s been closed to both vehicle and marine traffic and the project has been extended past its original timeline.
In addition to mechanical and structural upgrades, crews are also preserving the character of the original concrete design work.
“And because the concrete is so old, as our crews began chipping away at it, anytime they would encounter concrete that wasn’t sound, they would have to go further,” Lake said. “That was one of the setbacks we faced last fall.”
Boats and ships are now able to get through the site, along the Manistee River. Motor vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians must use Maple Street instead.
Commercial traffic not stopping in Manistee has also been diverted along other highways, to prevent heavier, noisier traffic in the city’s historic downtown.
MDOT hopes to have the U-S 31 bridge in Manistee back open to vehicles by Memorial Day weekend … and to have ALL work done in June.
