AASHTO Journal - Next Phase of Michigan’s Blue Water Bridge Project Begins

The Michigan Department of Transportation and local officials recently gathered to celebrate the start of the “Component 2” portion of the $300 million Blue Water Bridge or BWB plaza expansion project, as well as the “significant completion” of “Component 1.” That work included reconfiguring the 10th Avenue/Pine Grove Avenue intersection; an element not originally planned for in the project scope.

[Above photo by Michigan DOT]

The agency said the BWB plaza project seeks to provide safe, efficient, and secure movement of people and goods across the U.S.-Canadian border in the Port Huron area to support the economies of Michigan, the United States, and the province of Ontario, Canada. It will also support the mobility and security needs associated with national and civil defense, Michigan DOT noted.

The focus of “Component 2” will be primarily on expanding and reconfiguring the southern portion of the plaza. Work will include building an outbound inspection facility for U.S. Customs and Border Protection and relocating tolling facilities, the plaza’s “Duty Free Americas” operation, and a local highway access ramp.

“At the end of the day, this is really about how we’re meeting industry’s needs, how we’re meeting commuters’ needs and, most importantly, how we are meeting the needs of residents here in the community,” said Bradley Wieferich, Michigan DOT director, in a statement.

“This is a big project we’re talking about, with five years of construction,” he added. “There’s going to be a lot that goes on here but the end result is going to be amazing. Whether you’re a commuter or a regular user, you’re going to see amazing results when this is done.”

[Editor’s note: Amy Winn, Michigan DOT’s administrator for this project, recently discussed the history of the plaza improvements during an episode of the agency’s Talking Michigan Transportation podcast.]

The BWB plaza expansion project is the completion of a larger corridor and expansion project that received a Record of Decision in 2009 following the National Environmental Policy Act review process.

Funding shortfalls delayed plaza work, while other phases – including freeway rebuilding, replacing the Black River bridge, and building a new Welcome Center – were completed, the agency said.

Michigan DOT noted that it received a $25 million federal Infrastructure for Rebuilding America or INFRA grant in 2020 to proceed with a reduced plaza expansion alternative that will minimize impacts on Pine Grove Avenue and still address the original project’s purpose and need.