MDOT starts multi-million project to repair washed out areas of M-30

(6/29/2020) - Repairs are beginning on the stretch of M-30 destroyed by flooding in Gladwin and Midland counties this week.

The Michigan Department of Transportation awarded a $1.2 million contract to remove debris and tree limbs from the M-30 bridges over the Tobacco and Tittabawassee rivers.

The Tobacco River bridge was completely destroyed when the Edenville Dam collapsed on May 19. Much of the structure fell into the river bed and will need to be removed.

The Tittabawassee River bridge remains standing mostly, but it sustained heavy damage during the flood and remains impassable.

Fisher Contracting in Midland received the $1.2 million emergency contract to remove debris.

They plan to use barges for the next three or four weeks to access the dead trees and debris stuck on the Tittabawassee River bridge piers. The company will remove chunks of the roadway that collapsed into the Tobacco River.

MDOT engineers will perform a more thorough inspection of the Tittabawassee River bridge and determine the next steps when the debris is gone. More emergency repair contracts are likely after that.

MDOT is planning to install a temporary bridge over the Tobacco River, which will remain in place for several years while a permanent structure is completed. The agency is considering several temporary bridge design options, but no schedule was announced for replacing the span.