Troubled Bridge over Water

The bridge over the channel on Warren Road provides great access around the lake all summer. Lately, it has also provided area residents with a topic for speculation. We thought we would share what we know…

Although the bridge is in Ovid Township, the Branch County Road Commission has the jurisdiction for overseeing and maintaining it. In the state of Michigan, all bridges are required to be inspected every two years. The inspections for Branch County are conducted by an independent third-party engineering firm, with the resulting ratings supplied to the road commission. If you’re interested, the inspections and ratings can be accessed under the Freedom of Information Act.

Each year, there is a process for local road commissions to submit to the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) their official request for funding to replace bridges in their jurisdiction. In the fall of 2019, Branch County submitted requests for five bridges, including the Warren Road bridge. MDOT utilizes a panel of experts to review the statewide requests and grade them for funding. Typically, only one bridge per county gets approved. Once a project gets approved, it goes through an evaluation and design stage. A request for bids is then released outlining all applicable MDOT standards and qualifications. Bids are awarded to the lowest qualified bidder.

Decisions on the requests are usually released in late December/early January. When asked about speculation regarding changes that might be made to the bridge (making it taller, limiting the curve in the road, etc.), the Branch County Road commission stated that none of those aspects are considered until a project is approved and goes through the evaluation process. It is reasonable to expect that if the Warren Road bridge does not get approved for replacement in this cycle, it will be submitted again next year. The Lake Association board will stay close to the process and help to keep our residents informed.