GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Crews start work Monday morning on a project to replace the Martin Luther King Jr. Bridge over railroad tracks near US-131 in Grand Rapids. Drivers should expect closures of the bridge itself as well as the northbound on and off ramps for US-131.
The main portion of the bridge that passes over US-131 was built in the 1950s. The east portion of the bridge, which extends over Buchanan Avenue and was built to span railroad tracks, dates to the 1920s and still contains original components.
John Richard with the Michigan Department of Transportation said the age of the structure makes the rebuild necessary.
"So there are two interchanges on either side, to the north and south of MLK. You've got Century, you've got Hall, you've got Cesar Chavez — Logan's part of the detour. So there's many ways for not only vehicles to take, but pedestrians as well," Richard said.
The official bridge demolition is not scheduled to begin until April. MDOT is hoping the project will not create significant traffic backups.
Work on the MLK Jr. Bridge is expected to wrap up in mid-November.
Drivers should also be aware of a separate project on the horizon. Next year, the bridge carrying US-131 over West River is set to be replaced. Richard expects that project to cause significant congestion in an area already known for heavy morning traffic.
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