The Wisconsin Department of Transportation Northeast Regional Office at Green Bay is announcing the closure of the Michigan Street Bridge in Sturgeon Bay to all motor vehicle traffic effective 3 p.m. Monday. The closure will remain in effect until further notice.
The decision made by WisDOT boils down to one issue: safety. Portions of the bridge have deteriorated to the point where the bridge had to have weight limits posted. Unfortunately, heavy loads continued to use the bridge, leaving WisDOT with few options but to close the bridge.
“We realize for Door County business owners and the city of Sturgeon Bay, this closure comes at an unfortunate time,” said Will Dorsey, WisDOT Northeast Region Operations Manager. “But our first priority is the safety of the traveling public.”
WisDOT is working with Sturgeon Bay and Door County officials to mark detour routes. While the Michigan Street Bridge is no longer open to vehicular traffic, it will remain open to pedestrians. The Michigan Street Bridge is scheduled to undergo a $13 million renovation starting in March 2009.
Construction continues on the new Maple–Oregon Bridge in downtown Sturgeon Bay. The $30 million structure is scheduled to open to traffic in September.
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