Monroe approves $1.5 million rehabilitation project for MLK Jr. Memorial Bridge
MONROE — A long-awaited downtown Monroe project is set to kick off early next year as the Monroe City Council unanimously approved additional funds for the rehabilitation of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Bridge.
Proposals for the project came in well over the previous budget set by council last year for the 2023-24 Capital Improvement Plan. The low bid was offered by Z Contractors of Shelby Township for $1,420,455 with work scheduled to begin in spring 2024.
The city originally had budgeted just $1,050,000 toward the project.
Monroe City Manager David Robinson asked the council to approve the addition of approximately $580,454 to the project during Monday's regularly scheduled work session.
"Although it's still completely safe for people to use, we recognize that this bridge has an opportunity to not only be a better looking pedestrian bridge, but also a symbol and an attraction for our city and the busy areas of our downtown," Robinson said. "I think that this is something that's important to our citizens and is something that has been the priority of this council for the last couple years."
The MLK Jr. Memorial Bridge is a pedestrian crossing over a section of the River Raisin between St. Mary's Park on the north end and riverfront parking on the south end. It was first constructed in 1988 with minor updates and changes throughout the years.
The city plans to dip into funds from the streets and trails millage to cover the majority of the cost difference. That could delay one or more non-essential road projects to a future year. City Manager Robinson, along with Director of Engineering Patrick Lewis and Finance Director Ed Sell, will determine which projects might be diverted in order to fully fund the bridge project.
"I think it's time that we do it," Robinson said. "It's going to be a magnificent project. I think we need to get started on this and it's going to also lead into our proposal for the St. Mary's Park (redevelopment) project that follows this. ... It's blending one into the other. I think this is something we need to do."
Lewis said the city received only two bids on the project.
"It was out there for over a month and all of the large, statewide bridge contractors looked at it. So, I know that our reach was out there," said Lewis. "It's just that they are all so busy with large, multimillion dollar highway bridges. ... We were fortunate to get two prices for this, but I just don't see us getting a better price. Maybe in 2-3 years, but I think that overall construction inflation is going to kick in even if there are more available contractors.
"It's not the type of bridge job that a lot of large contractors are interested in because there's a lot of nuances to it."
Plans for the project include elimination of the stairway on the south side, concrete patching as needed on both ramps, replacement of the chain link fence with a new decorative mesh, replacement of the wood decking with synthetic decking, and cleaning and painting of the entire structure to match the city's branded colors.
The Monroe Downtown Development Authority also pledged a portion of its budget to update the lighting.
Part of the approved appropriation will be used to cover additional costs to the city's engineering department and also Fishbeck Engineers, which was awarded the design contract in July 2022.
The council agreed the project needed to go forward even with the increased cost.
"I think it's time to get on this because the prices are only going to go higher," said Councilperson Michelle Germani. "So let's get it done."
— Contact reporter Ryan Loren at RLoren@monroenews.com.
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Monroe approves $1.5 million rehabilitation project for MLK Jr. Memorial Bridge
