A new bridge may soon span the Clinton River, as the Mount Clemens City Commission has greenlighted a $9.3 million grant application to replace the 63-year-old Crocker Boulevard bridge. It is the 16th time the city has applied for the funds.
By: Dean Vaglia | Mount Clemens-Clinton-Harrison Journal | Published March 22, 2024
MOUNT CLEMENS — If at first you don’t succeed, try again. And again. And again.
On March 18, the Mount Clemens City Commission gave the city approval for the 16th time to apply for a state grant to replace the Crocker Boulevard bridge. Though City Manager Gregg Shipman reassured residents that the bridge is still safe to use, the 63-year-old bridge is showing its age.
“What’s actually the worst part about the bridge … is the pilings themselves are not sitting on piers under the water,” said Jeff Wood, city public services director. “That’s why it needs a full replacement.”
Other issues with the bridge, according to the application for the Michigan Department of Transportation’s Local Bridge Program grant, include surface cracks, old joint sealants and delamination and spalling of the concrete.
The city is seeking $9.3 million from the state for the replacement with $8.9 million estimated for the bridge itself and $407,000 for the approach. Shipman said some funds will be held back from the streets fund in anticipation of a 20% local match requirement — likely about $2 million after engineering costs. City officials expect to hear back from the state around October, but there’s stiff competition for the state funds.
“There’s only so much money allocated to this program,” Wood said. “This also covers the bridges and overpasses that go over the expressway. They’re eligible to apply for the grant, so it’s not just bridges over water.”
According to the grant application, over 11,700 vehicles crossed the bridge in 2020. Signage indicates it can support trucks carrying up to 73 tons. As one of only two bridges spanning the Clinton River in the city, traffic would be routed across the Market Street bridge if work were to occur.
Cairns Center questions and answers
City residents used the public comment periods at the prior March meeting to raise questions about the Cairns Community Center, which underwent an operational management change in late 2023. Shipman addressed the comments early in the March 18 meeting, announcing how people can run programs at the center and that the city will have someone stationed at the center from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting March 26 to answer questions from visitors about the center, how to sign up for programs, how to start a program and anything else.
Commenters asked about holding a public meeting specifically about the center and its uses, which Shipman provided a response to.
“The Parks and Recreation (Advisory) Board is being brought back for this purpose,” Shipman said. “These meetings are open to the public and will receive public input. We currently have two openings on the Parks and Recreation (Advisory) Board.”
The Parks and Recreation Advisory Board previously met quarterly in 2023. Once the two openings are filled, the board will determine its schedule for 2024. Even with the announcement of the board, City Commissioner Jill Yore expressed support for holding a meeting about the center.
“I am personally in support of an in-person meeting so we can talk more about the recreation center at Cairns,” Yore said. “I think that would give us a much better opportunity to hear each other than written questions back and forth, so I look forward to this.”
Many questions posed to the board about the Cairns Community Center had a worried tone about the city’s dedication to keeping the center open. Shipman was clear that the Cairns Center will remain a city facility for the foreseeable future, stating in plain terms the city plans to retain ownership of the center and operate it as part of the recreation department.