Tara Jeffrey
The westbound span of the Blue Water Bridge reopened Tuesday morning — two days ahead of schedule — following a three-month closure for maintenance work.
Initially slated for an October 5 finish, both spans will be fully operational starting October 3, 2023, ahead of schedule,” the Federal Bridge Corporation Limited (The FBCL) said in a news release.
Construction began back on July 5, shifting westbound traffic to the eastbound bridge span.
The work focused on improvements to the bridge’s structural integrity, including strengthening cross beams and replacing bearings, replacing expansion joints, conducting concrete deck repairs, and waterproofing the bridge deck followed by asphalt repaving of the Canadian portion of FBWB.
Since then, traffic has been maintained using only the eastbound span, with one lane designated for westbound travel and the other two lanes for eastbound travel.
“The reduced capacity resulted in longer wait times for bridge users,” the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) stated in a news release, adding that “both FBCL and MDOT bridge staff maintain their gratitude for all customers' patience during this necessary project.
“We couldn't be happier to unveil the newly revitalized First Blue Water Bridge,” said Natalie Kinloch, chief executive officer at the FBCL. “The credit for this early completion goes to our talented team, skilled workers and committed partners. Their extraordinary efforts have ensured timely work of utmost quality, and a safe crossing for our bridge users.”