BAY CITY, Mich. (WJRT) – Bay City residents and business owners aren’t all used to bridge closures and detours.
And some are already planning ahead, as MDOT plans to close the Lafayette Bridge for two years for reconstruction.
ABC12 spoke with local business owners to learn how they’re preparing.
MDOT says work on the bridge won’t begin until Nov. 1.
The Wenona Street detour is still in progress.
But local business owners are now collectively preparing for a closure that will affect traffic flow in the city for more than two years.
Reconstruction of Bay City’s Lafayette Bridge has been postponed several times since the summer.
Once the nearly $112 million project gets underway, it will completely replace the aging bascule bridge spanning the Saginaw River.
Jill Causley owns Scotty’s Sandbar in Evergreen off Salzburg Street, where the bridge is located.
She said customers who come there from the east side of the Saginaw River will be most affected.
“What I’m concerned about is whether people can get in and out of our store. Last time there was a road closure, they set up a store in the middle of the road. So I called them and We had to get the sign moved. We’re off the road at the moment, so I’m worried about people knowing we’re back here. We want people to know that we are here and will be open during construction,” she said. Said.
Causley said people on the east side can cross the Veterans Memorial Bridge and go down Henry Street to get to her business.
MDOT just made improvements to Henry Street. This is because detours will be posted.
MDOT expects the project to be completed by August 2027.