Avon Bridge to Come Down Starting Feb. 1 in Rochester Hills

Here we go.

The Avon Bridge will close to traffic Feb. 1 for a long-awaited rebuilding.

"For months and months it has seemed like a mirage," Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan Barnett said before announcing the construction start date to a City Council audience on Monday night.

The bridge will be closed until June 15.

The has been a year in the making: Last February it was found to be rapidly deteriorating; all but one lane in each direction has been closed since then. In a finding that compounded traffic congestion at the busy Avon-Livernois intersection, the Livernois Bridge was also discovered shortly after to be deteriorating. The Livernois Bridge will be replaced next year.

The Avon Bridge project involves removing and replacing the bridge over the Clinton River just east of Livernois. The new bridge will be constructed of pre-stressed concrete and contain the same five lanes as the existing bridge. The project will include repaving, new guardrails and relocation of a water main.

The Avon bridge is expected to cost about $2.6 million. A Michigan Local Bridge Program grant will cover $2.5 million of the cost, and the Oakland County Road Commission will cover most of the remaining cost. The city of Rochester Hills is contributing $32,000 for the installation of decorative lighting and hand rails as well as some pathway construction.

Learn more at meeting tonight

The Road Commission for Oakland County will hold an informational meeting Tuesday to detail plans to and to to north of Hamlin Road.

The open-house-style meeting will be 4-7 p.m. in the auditorium at , 1000 Rochester Hills Dr.. There will not be a formal presentation but during that time, road commission members will be available to answer questions and share information.