Truck Detour for M-30 Bridge Project at Tobacco River Impacted by Frost Laws Effective March 1

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) will adjust the posted detour for the M-30 temporary bridge being built in Gladwin County, effective Monday, March 1. The current posted detour directs drivers to use Dale Road as an east/west route crossing the Tobacco River. However, the weight restrictions beginning at 6 a.m. March 1 will prohibit truck traffic from using Dale Road until seasonal weight restrictions are removed. Truck operators should plan to use M-18 to M-61 until further notice. Portable message boards will be placed along those trunklines advising truck traffic of the detour modifications.

Work resumed on the M-30 temporary bridge structure spanning the Tobacco River on Monday, Feb. 15, following paving delays related to low temperatures. Prior to the week-long work stoppage, crews successfully launched the 230-foot prefabricated steel bridge into place. This bridge is the first of its kind used in Michigan and will allow MDOT an opportunity to reopen the M-30 corridor faster than using standard bridge design and construction. When a permanent bridge design is determined, MDOT will remove and store the temporary bridge for use in future projects or emergency road closure situations.

Following the bridge launch in early February, crews placed temporary deck panels finished with an epoxy surface suitable for driving. When hot-mix asphalt (HMA) plants reopen in the spring, crews will return to the site to complete longer-term HMA paving over the roadway.

Despite weather delays, crews are committed to expediting remaining work as quickly and safely as possible and expect to open the M-30 temporary bridge to traffic on Friday, March 12.