Grand River Bridge Project and Detour Begins Monday in Downtown Portland

Bridge improvements will begin on Monday, August 24th on the Grand River Bridge in downtown Portland. The City of Portland has received a $600,000 MDOT grant, from its local bridge program, that includes a 5% match ($30,000) from the City.

The project will be under the supervision of Fleis & VandenBrink Engineering of Grand Rapids and be completed in two phases. New concrete approaches will be installed from each direction and the bridge itself will receive several renovations. Pedestrian improvements will also be made at the Water Street intersection. “When it is completed it will look like a new bridge”, Jon Moxey of F&V Engineering told the City Council on Monday night.

The project will reduce traffic to a single lane at times. Detours have been planned and will mostly impact and restrict some commercial truck traffic. Water Street, in front of the ConfluxCity Brewing Company, will be closed during some phases of the project. The City has been working with and preparing local businesses, industries, and schools for the traffic re-routing.

The project is expected to take about eight weeks to complete, weather permitting, and should wrap up by the end of October.