Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By RICHARD JENKINS
Wakefield — While the date remains dependent on the weather, the Michigan Department of Transportation announced a new target for when the Jackson Creek Bridge project will be completed.
The department announced Thursday the M-28 bridge east of Wakefield is expected to reopen on Oct. 27, weather permitting.
The $3.9 million project to replace the bridge with a larger structure has encountered a variety of delays — including weather and construction delays, as well as a recent statewide labor dispute — pushing the project’s completion back several times.
MDOT spokesman Dan Weingarten previously asked for patience as the project forces drivers to use M-64 on the west side of Lake Gogebic and U.S. 2 as a detour while the bridge east of Wakefield is being replaced.
“We certainly understand the frustration the public must be feeling over these delays, but we ask for everyone’s patience while we continue to work to get this important project completed,” Weingarten said Tuesday.
The bridge deck has been poured and the concrete is curing, he said at the time, but the paving, guardrails and other work still needed to be done before traffic can resume using the highway.