Aging bridge on Paint Creek Trail to be replaced with grant funding

ROCHESTER — Two grants will cover the replacement of Bridge 31.7 along the Paint Creek Trail, just north of downtown Rochester.

“The numbers are mile markers that are remnants of the former railroad, when they signified the mileage from the center of Detroit,” explained Paint Creek Trail Manager Tom Correll.

The bridge is located in Rochester, just north of the Woodward and Ludlow crossing, near the trail entrance to Dinosaur Hill Nature Preserve, over the Paint Creek.

State Rep. Donni Steele recently supported a legislative initiative, Senate Bill 817, which includes $27.3 million for 18 land acquisitions and 35 recreational development projects throughout the state with revenue from the Natural Resources Trust Fund. Locally, the funding included a $300,000 Michigan Natural Resources Trust Grant to develop a stress truss bridge on the Paint Creek Trail.

“I was a member of the Paint Creek Trailways commission for more than 10 years, serving as the chair for a time,” said Steele, in a statement. “This project was part of our master plan. I’m so glad we could secure the funding to finally get this failing bridge fixed.”

The structure will replace a 100-year-old timber railroad structure that currently spans Paint Creek. A 2016 inspection of the bridge by city engineers noted extensive decay of the bridge’s structural components.

Right now, the bridge is load-restricted, so heavy vehicles cannot cross it. The renovation, trail officials say, will improve accessibility for trail users and emergency vehicles.

Not only is the bridge itself old and having some structural issues, but the way it was originally designed — with piers in the water — causes logs to get stuck, especially in the spring, negatively affecting the creek’s fish habitat.

Earlier this year, the city of Rochester secured approximately $721,000 in Transportation Alternatives Program funding for the project from the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments.

Amy O’Leary, the executive director of SEMCOG, said the project will make “a significant difference in the ability of all people, especially those who walk or bike, to reach their destinations with greater comfort and safety.”

The grant funding was crucial for the project to commence, according to Correll.

“The current cost estimate has the combined grants covering the total cost of the project, pending any unknowns,” he said.

Construction is estimated to begin in March 2025. For more information, contact Paint Creek Trail Manager Tom Correll at (248) 651-9260.