LANSING, Mich. — The City of East Lansing announced Thursday that the Harrison Rd. bridge spanning the Red Cedar River on Michigan State University’s campus will be fully closed beginning Monday, June 9, to address urgent structural repairs.
The bridge deck replacement work, which began in May, had initially allowed one half of the bridge to remain open to traffic. However, city officials recently uncovered “critical structural issues” in the high-pressure steam system adjacent to the bridge deck, necessitating emergency intervention.
In order to complete all necessary repairs and reopen the bridge within the original project timeline, the city determined a full closure was essential. East Lansing Director of Public Works and Environmental Services Ron Lacasse acknowledged the inconvenience the closure will cause, emphasizing the urgency of the repairs.
“Both the City and MSU realize that this closure will be disruptive to the traveling public, and we feel badly for the inconvenience that it may cause them,” Lacasse said. “Unfortunately, this critical work must be completed now. If it is not, then the project timeline will be extended into the fall when MSU students have returned to the area and the MSU football season has started, which will greatly increase traffic congestion.”
Despite the closure, local traffic will still have access to the Kellogg Center and the Brody Residential complex via Michigan Avenue. Detours will be clearly marked through the MSU campus, routing vehicles through Kalamazoo Street, Beal Street, and Michigan Avenue in both directions. Pedestrian access will be redirected through the Kellogg Center.
The City of East Lansing encourages drivers and pedestrians to plan accordingly and seek alternate routes during the closure period.
