Ortonville- The village will apply for a grant to replace a deteriorating Ball Street bridge.
‘If the grant were given, the bridge would be replaced in 2013,? said Interim Village Manager Larry Brown. ‘It is now in a condition where bridge replacement would be considered by the funding authority.?
The Ball Street bridge is one of three bridges over Kearsley Creek in the village? the others are located on South Street and Mill Street. The bridges are inspected every two years, as required by the state. The most recent inspection was last fall, at which time the village learned the Ball Street bridge would be a grant candidate. The other bridges are of newer construction and are not subject to be replaced.
The village must apply by June 1 to the Michigan Department of Transportation for the Local Bridge Grant. The grant application fee is $900. If they are approved, the grant would cover 95 percent of bridge construction costs and the bridge would be eligible to be replaced in 2013. The village would pay for the remaining 5 percent, plus engineering fees.
The minimum cost to replace the bridge, said Brown, is around $500,000.
The Ball Street bridge is concrete with timber supports. It is 26.9 feet in length and about 24 feet wide. Brown said inspectors suggested the council seek the grant, but it is not mandated and the bridge is not currently a danger to anyone. Vehicles over 12 tons are prohibited from using the bridge.
‘Funding is very competitive, so we need to apply now,? Brown said. ‘Eventually gravity gets hold of everything. It will all deteriorate at some point.?
Leanne Panduren, district manager for Rowe Incorporated, the village’s engineering firm that inspects the bridges, said the decking of the bridge of replaced in 1977, but the foundation was unchanged.
‘It’s just an older bridge that had a repair done in the ?70s,? she said. ‘It’s nearing the end of its life.?