The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) says over 100 bridges are at risk of closure by 2035 if state lawmakers don't allocate funding for repairs and upkeep soon.
According to a recent release, around two-thirds of bridges maintained by MDOT have exceeded their recommended design lives.
Nearly 2 million drivers are expected to be impacted daily if the state is unable to keep these bridges open.
"It means cutoffs for commuters, recreation, tourism, and industries," explained MDOT spokesperson James Lake. "A lot of commercial vehicles use our state routes as their primary routes. If that bridge were to close, all of that gets cut off until it gets repaired or rebuilt."
Lake says eight bridges in the northern lower peninsula alone have been identified to be in poor condition, with three of them at risk for closure.
One of these bridges is the M-65 bridge over the Thunder Bay River in Alpena County. The bridge was rated to be in poor condition due to deck deterioration and the potential for its foundation to be undermined in the event of heavy rain.
MDOT estimates that repair costs for the M-65 bridge would take $10 million, twice the annual budget for bridge repairs in the region.
MDOT Director Bradley Wieferich said in a release that "by decade's end, nearly 50% of state routes will be in poor condition."
The state legislature blew past its July 1 deadline to have the 2026 fiscal year budget finalized. If they're unable to pass a budget by Oct. 1, the state government will shutdown.
