Located in east-central Michigan, Bay City sits on the Saginaw River a few miles south of Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron. The Lafayette Avenue Bridge links two sections of Bay City that are separated by the East Channel of the Saginaw River. The aging bridge is currently being replaced by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and the Granite-Kraemer North America joint venture.

Few pieces of infrastructure in the United States can trace their roots back to the post-Civil War era. The original Lafayette Avenue Bridge was built in 1876, around 11 years after the end of the war. A new bridge was constructed in 1938.

The 1938 version is a bascule bridge that was constructed using timber piles. In 1989, the bridge was reconstructed from approximately the water level up.

Over the past few decades, MDOT has had to conduct routine maintenance projects to repair concrete and mechanical components, addressing issues that have become more common. In 2019, the bridge required emergency repairs on six occasions; by 2022, that number had increased to 20.

MDOT determined that a new Lafayette Avenue Bridge was needed, rather than repairing the current one.

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“The continued increase in maintenance of the bridge, as well as the increasing scour concerns under the bridge piers due to increased water volumes and flows, ultimately resulted in the bridge being fully reconstructed,” MDOT Project Manager Collin Lorenz said.

The project scope involves full demolition of the original Lafayette Bridge down to the timber piles and a full reconstruction using new steel H-piles, substructure, superstructure, mechanical systems, and an operator's house. Other project elements include installing ADA accessibility features, road improvements, and intersection improvements on both approaches to the bridge.

The new bridge will be functionally comparable to the original Lafayette Bridge, but slightly larger. It will go from just over 450 feet long and 42.75 feet wide to over 510 feet long and 43 feet 10 inches wide, with 28 feet of roadway.

The replacement bridge will serve as the primary pedestrian and bicycle crossing in Bay City and provide the only vehicular, pedestrian, and bicycle access from the densely populated east side of the city to community amenities at Middle Ground Island.

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To accommodate non-motorized traffic, the new bridge will feature an 8-foot shared-use path and 5-foot sidewalks, as well as improvements to the shared-use paths on the east end of the bridge, eliminating an intersection crossing for bicyclists and pedestrians.

While the work is taking place, the non-bascule portion of the bridge remains open to traffic. However, the bridge is closed to traffic, with detours going to other bridges in the area. There are five bascule bridges in Bay City.

While the team works within the channel, the contractor must accommodate marine traffic and avoid any obstructions or channel closures.

During the 2024 shipping season, a local river historian documented nearly 200 freighters, tankers, and barges traversing the Saginaw River. Traffic levels were up from 2023 and ranked among the busiest seasons of the past two decades. Passenger ships are particularly common in the area.

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According to Shipnext, a digital platform for shipping and transportation, general cargo ships account for 20 percent and passenger ships account for 80 percent of marine traffic in Bay City.

“[The marine traffic] is being handled by conducting construction in the channel, which would require full channel closure during the winter months from December 1 to March 31,” Lorenz said. “This also involves coordinating notices by ships when they are coming down the channel and moving barges, and equipment, and crews to allow for safe passage during the operational months.”

Another challenge the team is facing is the procurement of fabricated materials, such as structural steel and machinery components.

“Due to moveable bridges being quite unique, each component is manufactured specifically for the Lafayette Bridge,” Lorenz said. “This leads to longer shop drawing approval processes and fabrication.”

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This issue makes it more challenging to keep to the construction schedule. To progress the project, Lorenz noted that there is strong coordination between the fabricator and the contractor to track both ongoing work and expected delivery timelines to the site.  

An additional obstacle is that the mechanical and electrical aspects of a movable bridge, such as the Lafayette Avenue Bridge, make it very different from a standard fixed-span bridge.

“Movable bridge construction requires a very high degree of technical expertise, engineering, planning, and precision in order for the end product to function properly,” Lorenz said.

While the Granite-Kraemer North America joint venture was selected through MDOT’s low-bid process, Granite also brings additional benefits to the project. The contractor is very familiar with the area and has worked on other local bascule bridges.

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“They have brought to the project experience from many national large-scale bridge projects, movable bridge expertise, and industry-wide recommendations for completing the work,” Lorenz said.

“Having gained local experience over the past five years working on other bascule bridges in Bay City, they were a good choice for the project due to having built a team of Michiganders and gained familiarity with the Saginaw River and its boat traffic restrictions that have paid dividends for the project,” he added.

Construction of the project began at the end of 2024 and is scheduled to conclude in June 2027.

“The department is currently assessing the project schedule as needed due to factors like steel component fabrication and any potential impacts,” Lorenz said.

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The project was originally scheduled to begin earlier, according to MDOT. The bridge replacement was postponed indefinitely when construction costs far exceeded original replacement estimates. MDOT began analyzing the potential of adjusting the footprint of the bridge or resorting to heavy bridge rehabilitation instead of the full replacement that was needed.

The state was able to move forward on the project because it received a $73 million federal grant. The bridge's construction was expected to cost $112 million. The federal government is paying $90 million (including the grant), while the state is kicking in $20 million, and local sources are paying the remaining $2 million.

As of the writing of this article, the project is currently slightly above budget. This is due to the state adding some additional traffic safety items to keep pedestrians and motorists commuting safely. Another reason, Lorenz noted, is that the contractor needs to expend additional effort to remove unforeseen materials left over from the original construction of the bridge, as well as to fabricate specific items needed. The state is paying for 100 percent of the additional costs.

When the third iteration of the Lafayette Bridge is completed, the public will benefit by having a more reliable bridge and infrastructure in the area. The new bridge will improve mobility and accessibility for residents of Bay City for decades to come.

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• Owner/Engineer: Michigan Department of Transportation
• General Contractors: Granite Construction, Watsonville, California; Kraemer North America, Plain, Wisconsin
• Designers: Hardesty & Hanover, New York, New York; Spicer Group, Saginaw, Michigan
• Other Contractors: AJ Rehmus, Bay City, Michigan; Beton Consulting, Edmonton, Canada; Capital Industrial Services, Seattle, Washington; Chicago Underwater, Villa Park, Illinois; Concrete Cutting and Breaking, Grand Rapids, Michigan; Flatrock, San Antonio, Texas; Fishbeck, Grand Rapids, Michigan; G2 Consulting, Troy, Michigan; Give ‘Em A Brake, Macomb, Michigan; Intertek PSI, Arlington Heights, Illinois; JF Brennan Company, La Crosse, Wisconsin; Lois Kay, Saginaw, Michigan; Modjeski and Masters, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania; PK Contracting, Troy, Michigan; Pumford Construction, Saginaw, Michigan; Pyramid Paving, Bay City, Michigan; SPE Inc., Little Chute, Michigan; Strain Electric, Wyoming, Michigan; Vibra Tech, Hazelton, Pennsylvania; Concrete Cutting Specialties, Freeland, Michigan; Heinz Tree Service, Saginaw, Michigan; Murin Company, Freeland, Michigan; Shaw Contracting, Bay City, Michigan; C&S Carriers, Byron Center, Michigan; Champagne and Marx, Saginaw, Michigan; Smiths Waterproofing, Almont, Michigan
Photos copyrighted by Michigan Department of Transportation