By David Fleet
947-244-2647
dfleet@mihomepaper.com
Atlas Twp.— On Monday night the township board of trustees voted 5-0 to participate in the replacement of the Henderson Road Bridge over the Kearsley Creek.
The project with the Genesee County Road Commission, which should begin in 2027 will cost $2,199,000, of which Atlas Township will pay $302,000. The GCRC will be submitting an application for funding through the Michigan Department of Transportation’s Local Bridge Program, in effort to secure funding for bridge replacement.
“The Henderson Road Bridge over the Kearsley Creek is in poor shape and in need of replacement,” said Shirley Kautman-Jones, township supervisor. “The bridge has been submitted several times by the state and the Michigan Department of Transportation for replacement. It’s been a restricted bridge and has been down to one lane.”
The GCRC contacted the township regarding funding for the structure, located between Kipp and Green roads. The bridge was built in 1937 and according to the GCRC, in 2015 the Henderson Road bridge, over the Kearsley Creek, was named one of five in Genesee County that may be closed within the next five years at that time if additional funding was not received for repairs. The Henderson Road bridge repair estimate then was estimated to be $700,000. The bridge was considered critical in December 2008 when the Green Road bridge was shut down for replacement.