MUSKEGON, Mich. (WOOD) — Friday morning at the Ottawa Street bridge in Muskegon, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer got an up-close look at the very problem she’s promised to fix.
The 90-year-old bridge is in such disrepair, it’s been reduced to one lane for the past three years.
The concern atop is obvious, marked by orange barrels and a 5-foot tree growing through the heart of the bridge. But the safety problems are best seen underneath.
“The beams that we’re actually standing on right now, there’s literally holes rusted right through them,” explained Michigan Department of Transportation Chief Bridge Engineer Matt Chynoweth.
MDOT says the city has tried to secure funding for a fix, but there hasn’t been enough money to go around. The Ottawa Street bridge is one of about 1,100 bridges in Michigan in poor or critical condition. Of those, 60 or 70 bridges are so bad they’re closed.
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