With fanfare from the Kenowa Hills High School band, construction crews, lawmakers and local leaders cut the ribbon Friday, celebrating the completion of the $30 million project that required drivers to detour around the major route for seven months.
The project stretched along Fruit Ridge Avenue from 3 Mile Road to Northridge Drive.
The previous two-lane bridge over I-96 was more than 60 years old and too narrow to adequately handle the business and population growth in the area, says Mayor Gary Carey.
“The economic impact for this is without words and without measure because when you look at this, you have between 15,000-16,000 jobs within a two-mile radius of this area. This is not just about the city of Walker, it’s about West Michigan as a whole because Ottawa County is affected, DeWys Engineering just over the county border continues to grow, Alpine Township.”
The bridge was replaced with five lanes plus new bike and pedestrian paths connecting to area trailways, an important benefit, says State Representative Carol Glanville.
“This was the missing connection between the White Pine, Pioneer, and Standale Trail that opens up 200 miles of trails from Muskegon to Cadillac.”
Westbound I-96 was closed through the weekend as crews put the finishing touches on the bridge for Monday’s re-opening.
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