Atlas Twp.- After the indefinite closure of the Green Road bridge over the Kearsley Creek, about a mile east of M-15 following a Dec.13 inspection, a second township bridge is under scrutiny.
Steve Wright, engineer for Flint-based WadeTrim, who inspected the township bridges last month, reported the majority of the beams on the Henderson Road Bridge are in only fair condition. However, Wright said there will probably be no load reduction on this structure for at least the next two years.
According to the report, the steel structure bridge built in 1937 was constructed with two different types of beams supporting the bridge deck. The outermost beams seem to have been salvaged from a previous construction and have corroded much faster than the others. This is the reason that guardrail was put in place on the west side of the road, he said.
WadeTrim is still reviewing reports and preparing recommendations for this structure.
‘The Henderson Road bridge is in bad shape, too,? said Scott Statson, township trustee. ‘Based on that report they could close it tomorrow, for all we know. Right now we need to look at both bridges and make our needs known at the state and federal level.?
Statson’s concern over township bridge repair comes after staggering cost estimates and a three-year time frame to repair the Green Road Bridge was discussed at the January township meeting.
Richard Hill, design department manager for the Genesee County Road Commission, ordered the Green Road bridge, which was constructed in 1938, closed after a meeting last month with an independent inspector from WadeTrim.
Hill added that repairs to the old bridge will be very costly and may not be completed for many years due to a lack of funding. The Green Road bridge was inspected about two years ago and determined to be strong. Since then, steel beams have been deteriorating and several holes are now apparent, according to the report.
Cast in 1938, the Kipp Road Bridge over the Kearsley Creek is in pretty good shape for its age, said Wright.
‘It is a cast in place, concrete structure built in 1938. We see no current reason to close or reduce the load capacity of this bridge.?