By Amy Joles (Contact / Staff Bio)
October 14, 2009 - 10:07 a.m. EST

INDIANFIELDS TOWNSHIP — Residents who live on Chambers Road will soon be able to get to Caro a lot easier.

The bridge spanning the Cass River on Chambers, located near Wells Road, is nearing completion. The structure is estimated to be complete around Oct. 30. Originally, it was due to open for traffic in September.

“It has been a long summer for those affected by the Chambers Road Bridge construction project,” said Mike Tuckey, Tuscola County Road Commission Director of Finance. “We’d like to thank people for being patient.”

While construction has taken place, motorists were detoured on M-46 to Ringle to M-81.

The bridge, originally built in 1947, closed down for construction in mid-March. The aged structure was completely removed and replaced with a 201-foot long by 43-foot wide, three span bridge.

Along with the bridge construction, .34 mile of the road was reconstructed leading to the bridge.

Tuckey said he was unaware of any mechanical malfunctions on the contractor’s part at the construction site and blamed the month delay on the “wet spring” weather and public utility conflicts.

Hardman Construction of Ludington is slated to start paving the new structure during the week of Oct. 19. Guardrail, roadside seeding, pavement marking and epoxy coating of the bridge deck will need to be completed before the bridge opens.

Weight limits on the former bridge restricted traffic on Chambers Road. Passage was limited to 35,000 pounds for single-axle trucks and up to 55,000 pounds for gravel trains. When the bridge is completed, those restrictions will be lifted.

The cost for replacing the Chambers Road bridge is $1,780,000. Since the bridge is county owned, the Tuscola County Road Commission will be responsible for five percent of that cost, Tuckey said.

The majority of the funding for the bridge project came from federal aid, he added.