Politics & Government

Michigan Governor Orders Bridge Closed

University Drive bridge over I-75 will be closed for about a week while temporary supports are installed to stabilize the bridge.

If you were planning to cross the University Drive over I-75 in Oakland County, you’ll need to find a detour for at least a week.

Gov. Rick Snyder ordered the bridge closed Friday after a Michigan Department of Transportation found “a critical with beams” on the University Drive bridge over I-75, according to a press release.

MDOT estimates the temporary supports to be installed within the next week, allowing University Drive to reopen. In the meantime, I-75 remains open under University Drive and motorists can still exit the freeway onto University Drive.

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Once the temporary supports are put in place, MDOT will further assess the bridge condition and determine a permanent repair solution.

MDOT spokeswoman Diane Cross told the Detroit Free Press workers “can actually see some daylight” coming through the structure of the bridge adjacent to deteriorating steel beams. The bridge has been on MDOT’s “watch list” for some time, Cross said.

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The bridge closure came a day after Snyder delivered his condition of the state address and renewed his call for an increase in funding for road and bridge repairs.

Closure of the bridge Friday afternoon set off a flurry of emails at Oakland University, where students and others use the overpass to get to the Auburn Hills campus.

Drivers will still be able to use the exits from the freeway while the overpass is closed, and I-75 will remain open under University Drive during the repairs.



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