WALKER, Mich. (WOOD) — After a summer of construction, the Bristol Bridge Project in Walker is almost done.
Wednesday, city leaders and community members celebrated a ribbon cutting as the first cars traveled underneath the new bridge.
The old bridge on Bristol Avenue NW near Pannell Avenue NW had been around for 117 years.
Walker City Engineer Scott Conners said many issues had been identified with the bridge and the road underneath it over the years. This includes only one lane of traffic being able to pass at a time and the height of the bridge causing headaches for drivers, especially those in trucks.
Project set to fix Bristol Avenue bottleneck in Walker
After months of construction, the bridge now has a 14-foot clearance. The road was widened to allow for two lanes of traffic, sidewalks have been added, and there is a three-way stop at the intersection of Bristol and Pannell.