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Granite Construction will increase its portfolio as part of a joint venture working on a $113 million bridge project in Bay City, Michigan.
Granite and Plain, Wis.-based Kraemer North America, based in Watsonville, Calif., will join forces to eliminate and replace the Lafayette bascule bridge over the Saginaw River, according to a news release.
The structure, built in 1938 as part of President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal program, has faced numerous closures in recent years for repairs, with rebar showing through the pavement and sidewalks are sinking, according to a profile of the project written by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association in April.
The bridge is a double-leaf rolling bascule, or drawbridge, with heavy mechanical equipment that has become more prone to failure. It was closed 20 times for repairs in 2022 alone, according to ARTBA.
According to Granite, the work specifications include demolition of the existing structure, installation of the archway and construction of a new substructure and rocker piers, structural steel, machinery, a new bridge house and lights d approach
The Federal Highway Administration and Michigan DOT are funding the project, with $73 million coming from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, according to ARTBA.
Granite and Kraemer North America have teamed up on two other Bay City bridge projects. In 2021, the couple collaborated on a $125 million rehabilitation of the Liberty Bridge and the complete reconstruction and alignment of the Independence Bridge, according to Granite.
Work on the Lafayette Bascule Bridge will begin this fall. The new structure is expected to be open to traffic in the summer of 2027.
