FERRYSBURG, Mich. — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer vetoed $375 million in one-time road and bridge funding from the state spending bills, included in that was millions to replace Smith’s Bridge in Ferrysburg.
The bridge, built in the 1970s, was shutdown in June due to safety concerns.
"There had been between 5000 and 6000 cars that traveled it on a daily basis, so it has been an inconvenience for so many people," Ferrysburg Mayor Rebecca Hopp, said.
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By Marie Havenga - mhavenga@grandhaventribune.com
There’s another gasp of hope for Smith’s Bridge to be reopened.
The Ferrysburg City Council unanimously voted Monday night to seek bids for further testing on the bridge’s structural integrity.
City Manager Craig Bessinger said he hopes to draft a request for proposals and “get it out by the end of the week.” The request will solicit bids from firms for tests that will include peeling back the asphalt and taking core samples of the box beams.
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Ferrysburg City Councilman Rich Carlson and City Manager Craig Bessinger accept a $1,200 check from a grassroots citizen committee dedicated to saving Smith’s Bridge. The money paid for a “second opinion” on the bridge’s condition. Results of the that engineering study are expected by the end of this month.
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Smith's Bridge closed last month while officials figure out a way to fund the $13 million repair cost.
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Ann Smith, who owns a summer home in Ferrysburg, has volunteered to pay up to $2,000 for a second engineering opinion on Smith's Bridge. Ferrysburg City Council voted to close the bridge last month, due to deterioration.
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Ferrysburg City Manager Craig Bessinger shows Harbor Point resident Bill Hoffman where barricades will be placed when Smith's Bridge is closed to vehicle traffic in the very near future, or "as soon as we have signage and barricades," Bessinger said. Ferrysburg City Council voted Monday night, June 17, 2019, to close the West Spring Lake Road bridge for safety reasons.