Newark Road bridge closed

A bridge on Newark Road between Wilder and Five Lakes roads was closed by the Lapeer County Road Commission on Wednesday. The bridge must be replaced. LAPEER TWP — The Lapeer County Road Commission on Wednesday closed a bridge on Newark Road between Wilder and Five Lakes roads in Lapeer Township. The bridge is not safe for traffic.

County highway engineer Bill Meinz said the 10-ft. bridge, which spans the Pine Creek drain, will be replaced. An emergency permit request was submitted to the Department of Environmental Quality last week.

Once the DEQ gives the green light, a 14-by-6 foot box culvert will be ordered to replace the bridge. It takes about 10 days to get the culvert.

After the culvert is received, Meinz says it will take a couple of days to install it. He points out that weather is a factor, though, so he estimates that when all is said and done, it will likely be 3-4 weeks before the road is open again.

The closure followed previous weight restrictions on the bridge. The bridge, which dates to the '30s or '40s, was found to have failed recently. Meinz said that the footings of the bridge had been undermined. He said the major rain in August was likely a factor.

After the road commission placed weight restrictions on the bridge, traffic continued to move across the bridge, including some in violation of the restrictions. Meinz said it continued to degrade the condition of the bridge.

"It's just a function of traffic going over it," he said. The condition deteriorated enough that the bridge had to be closed completely.

Newark Road carries about 2,700 cars a day in that location, so the closing definitely will pose an inconvenience for some. Meinz says the road commission is working as quickly as possible to fix the problem and open the road.

"Nobody likes to close a bridge, but when it's for safety reasons (we will)," Meinz said.

Buses for the Lapeer Community Schools are among the travelers affected by the bridge closure. Brenda Wells, transportation coordinator for LCS, says that all school buses have had to be rerouted.

— Nancy Angellotti