LANSING, Mich. — Sen. Roger Hauck secured $1.32 million for a Mecosta County bridge repair in the final budget recently passed by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
“Everyone knows we need more money to repair our roads and bridges, and how we were going to do that was actually a point of contention in the recent budget negotiations prior to final passage,” said Hauck, R-Mt. Pleasant. “I put in this funding request because the structure has already been labeled a serious concern. The next step was closing the road altogether, which would have significantly disrupted local travel while the bridge continued to deteriorate.”
The funding secured by Hauck will be used to make repairs to the Harding Road structure over the West Branch of the Chippewa River. Because the structure isn’t big enough to technically be considered a bridge, it is ineligible for federal or state bridge funding under current formulas — leaving few, if any, meaningful options going forward.
The structure was previously surveyed in 2024 and labeled in “serious condition,” and a 9-ton weight limit was imposed.
“The county doesn’t have the money to take on the sole responsibility to fix the structure, and without state and federal help, there weren’t many other options on the table,” Hauck said. “The bridge was a difficult case because of its classification — or lack thereof. If this line item wasn’t included in the general budget, necessary repairs would have gone by the wayside until the structure eventually reached a point where closure was the only option.”
Mecosta County Road Commission Superintendent Tim Nestle praised the funding, outlining the importance of keeping the road open and maintaining access for residents and emergency services.
“As you know, the Harding Road structure has been deficient for several years and not eligible for critical bridge funding in its current state,” he said. “Without this funding, the next steps would be to close the road to all traffic, restricting quick access for residents and emergency services in the area. The nearby Winchester Dam is also a state recreational access point to a chain of eight lakes in the Martiny Township area of Mecosta County. Closing the road would restrict access to anyone coming in from north of the structure attempting to access the boat launch.”
###