MDOT, Petoskey to seek funds for Mitchell Street Bridge project

Jillian Fellows, The Petoskey News-Review
·2 min read
The Michigan Department of Transportation and the City of Petoskey are moving forward with a TAP grant request to restore the Mitchell Street Bridge. The Mitchell Street Bridge is pictured here on Feb. 6, 2024.
The Michigan Department of Transportation and the City of Petoskey are moving forward with a TAP grant request to restore the Mitchell Street Bridge. The Mitchell Street Bridge is pictured here on Feb. 6, 2024.

PETOSKEY — The Michigan Department of Transportation and the City of Petoskey are moving forward with a TAP grant request that could help fund a proposed restoration project for the Mitchell Street Bridge.

MDOT representatives presented project details to the Petoskey City Council during their meeting on Monday.

“What we’re looking at here is submitting for a TAP grant, so Transportation Alternatives Program,” said Brandon Boatman, bridge engineer for MDOT North Region. “This is a historic bridge built in 1930. Basically the past few years we have been out here with MDOT maintenance scaling loose concrete, so removing loose concrete that’s hanging over the trail, the park area, in an effort to increase safety for the users below.”

The Mitchell Street Bridge is a frequently traveled section of U.S. 31 near the western entrance of downtown Petoskey. Underneath the bridge runs the Bear River, with sections of the Bear River Valley Recreation Area providing a popular spot for fishing, hiking and taking photos.

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Fishermen try their luck in the Bear River near the Mitchell Street Bridge in Petoskey.
Fishermen try their luck in the Bear River near the Mitchell Street Bridge in Petoskey.

“We used to do programming under the bridge,” said city manager Shane Horn. “Our parks department did a number of activities under the bridge just because it’s a really neat historical structure. We’ve discontinued doing any sort of programming under the bridge because of concrete that’s delaminated. It’s falling. So we don’t do any programming under the bridge anymore just for safety reasons.”

MDOT did a detailed inspection recently to identify areas that need patching to extend the service life of the bridge. Boatman said a TAP grant from 2012 led to some restoration work on the bridge, but more is needed.

“Those patches for the most part have held up but there are additional areas that weren’t addressed that we would like to continue performing preservation maintenance on this bridge and keep it going as long as possible,” he said.

Crumbling concrete is seen on the Mitchell Street Bridge on Feb. 6, 2024.
Crumbling concrete is seen on the Mitchell Street Bridge on Feb. 6, 2024.

More: MDOT proposes Mitchell Street Bridge restoration; Petoskey council to hear details

According to agenda materials, the scope of the work includes substructure patching, deck and fascia patching, superstructure patching, removing and replacing epoxy overlay, expanding joint replacements, removing and replacing sidewalk approaches, and maintenance of traffic.

The TAP grant request is for fiscal year 2025 in the amount of $2,292,000. MDOT would provide a 20 percent match. The project would be done at no cost to the city.

City council approved a resolution supporting the TAP grant request.

“This would be a great project to get the bridge repaired and get it restored from that aspect so there’s no more falling concrete,” Horn said. “Everybody can go under the bridge and look at a really historical structure and enjoy that, enjoy the Bear River Valley area.”

— Contact Jillian Fellows at jfellows@petoskeynews.com.  

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: MDOT, Petoskey pursue grant for Mitchell Street Bridge project