10/08/2025
FYI
Press release
Coffia Provides Additional Updates on Traverse City Pedestrian Bridge Replacement
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich., Oct. 6, 2025 — As part of her continued efforts to facilitate a transparent process surrounding the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) plans to replace the pedestrian bridge over U.S. Highway 31 near the Keith J. Charters Traverse City State Park, state Rep. Betsy Coffia (D-Traverse City) recently posed several questions to the DNR regarding the project and is sharing their responses with the public.
Cost Estimate
“Securing funding for the new bridge is at the forefront of everyone’s minds, so determining the true cost of the project has been a priority for me,” said Coffia. “We need a realistic price tag. Then we can explore the best funding sources to pay for a new ADA-compliant bridge.”
Responding to Coffia’s inquiry on the cost estimate of the new bridge based on DNR’s proposed designs, the DNR wrote to Coffia that they received preliminary cost estimates from a contracted engineering firm to be used for early budgeting purposes.
“The design and construction of a bridge ranges from $6.75 to $8 million using the 2024 MDOT Average Price Report. Concrete and steel are the largest ticket items,” wrote DNR Legislative Liaison Chris Semrinec. “A minimum of 5% increase in cost of this bridge per year should be factored in as we continue to discuss and find a location. These estimates do not include costs for land, right of way, or utility relocations which have the potential to be costly. It also assumes a property clean of environmental issues, no unexpected underground infrastructure, and sized for adequate movement of all large construction equipment.”
Site Location
“I have been and continue to advocate that we use the land on both the state park’s beach and campground side that is already DNR-owned for a new ADA-compliant bridge. As the location of the new bridge could have an impact on the final cost of the project, answering the question of where the bridge could be placed is another key factor in these discussions,” said Coffia. “To narrow down placement options and avoid unnecessary future expenses, it’s important that we take any legal limitations into consideration early. The last thing we want is for these issues to arise further down the road when a change of plans would result in additional unexpected costs.”
The new pedestrian bridge is not able to be placed in the same location as the previous bridge because of the proximity to the park’s new entrance and a new traffic light, which is part of the original $8.5 million American Rescue Plan Act park improvement project that has been approved by the federal government. Coffia requested that the DNR investigate any potential legal parameters for the bridge’s placement, such as any distance or line-of-sight requirements in regard to the new traffic light.
“From everything we have gathered, there are no statutory guidelines regarding required line-of-sight for the placement of the bridge in proximity to a signaled crossing,” Semrinec wrote. “This is due to the case-by-case nature of these situations and therefore, it is at the discretion of the Michigan Department of Transportation’s (MDOT) engineers on what is the safest distance for placement of the bridge.”
Insurance Claim
On July 17, the previous pedestrian bridge was struck by a vehicle, resulting in structural damage and the premature closure of the bridge. Evaluation of the damage and securing the structure so that vehicles could safely pass under the bridge in the immediate aftermath also incurred costs to the state. DNR subsequently filed a claim with the driver’s insurance company in coordination with MDOT.
“This process is still ongoing,” Semrinec wrote when asked about the status of the claim. “We are now awaiting a cost summary from MDOT with respect to the work undertaken to make the bridge stable enough that there was no danger of it collapsing onto U.S. 31 below it. The belief is that due to the bridge being beyond its life expectancy and having been fully depreciated, that any funding that comes from the claim will likely only cover the costs incurred by MDOT for repairs made following the collision with the bridge.”
Next Steps
“Along with my regular check-ins with Mr. Semrinec and DNR Director Scott Bowen on the progress the DNR is making on this issue, a meeting is also forthcoming with myself, the director, state Sen. John Damoose, and state Rep. John Roth in early October to continue discussions on the project,” said Coffia. “We are bringing everyone to the table and leaving no stone unturned. I want to thank the DNR and my fellow northern Michigan legislators for their continued efforts and collaboration on addressing this important community priority. I am committed to seeing it through and being as transparent as possible by sharing as many details with my constituents as I have access to as this process unfolds.”
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