Construction begins Friday on a major project that’s been years in the making, the Blue Water Bridge Plaza Expansion. The work will change how drivers move through the area and aims to improve safety and traffic flow at one of the busiest border crossings in the country.
The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) first announced the project back in 2009, but funding delays put it on hold. That changed in 2020 when MDOT received a $25 million federal Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant.
“With the grant awarded, MDOT executive leadership decided that Blue Water Bridge MDOT could commit to the funding to see the project through and remain a landlord to Customs and Border Protection,” said Carrie Warren, MDOT’s Senior Plaza Expansion Project Manager.
Friday’s work marks the start of Component 1, which lays the foundation for the overall project. It includes:
Crews will also adjust lane alignments to reduce confusion and prevent drivers from accidentally entering the bridge to Canada, a problem that has happened often.
Component 2 is expected to begin in spring 2025 and will focus on work inside the bridge plaza. Local roads and residents will not be as affected during this phase, which includes:
Right now, border agents sometimes have to wave vehicles over in open traffic, which can be unsafe. Warren said the new inspection booths will make the process safer and more efficient.
Components 3 and 4, the final phases, depend on whether Customs and Border Protection (CBP) can secure funding to finish their portion. For now, MDOT is focused on making sure each phase can operate independently.
“We aren’t doing anything that’s temporary,” Warren said. “We aren’t doing anything that is expected to just be like an interim fix that isn’t sustainable.”
She also advised commuters, “I encourage people to either use the posted detours, or identify their preferred way that best suits their needs. Avoiding the work zone will lessen their frustration as well as keep our workers safer.”
Port Huron City Manager James Freed said he’s heard concerns from residents but believes MDOT has kept the community informed.
“They’ve held numerous community engagement sessions to inform the public what’s going on and give them a point of contact,” Freed said. “MDOT has gone to great lengths to mitigate any type of traffic issues.”
While not everyone supports the project, Freed said there is relief that it’s finally moving forward.
“At least we’re getting closure as a community that it will actually get completed,” he said. “The uncertainty for the real estate around the plaza has been an issue for more than a decade. There’s a lot of commercial properties that didn’t know if they were going to exist in 10 years.”
He also sees a chance for the local economy to benefit.
“We’re going to have jobs and businesses that have a new location afterward,” Freed said. “We have a local business doing the excavation. A significant amount of subcontractors will be from Port Huron. We hope to see that a lot of those dollars flow and invest in the community.”
He added that the area will be filled with transient workers during construction, people who will eat at local restaurants, stay in hotels, and support area businesses.
Anyone with questions can contact MDOT’s project manager, Carrie Warren.
— Contact Andy Jeffrey at ajeffrey@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: Blue Water Bridge Plaza expansion kicks off: What it means for Port Huron residents
Reporting by Andy Jeffrey, Port Huron Times Herald / Port Huron Times Herald
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