Is 140th Ave Bridge the New 100th Street Bridge in GR?
For some reason, semis and bridges in West Michigan just don't seem to get along. Is the 140th Avenue bridge becoming the new 100th Street bridge?
100th Street Bridge
Sara J. Martin [Michigan Department of Transportation via Facebook][/caption]It took the 100th Street bridge that goes across US-131 to get hit by 13 semi-trucks before the Michigan Department of Transportation thought it might be a good idea to build the bridge a little higher.
Read More: 100th Street Bridge Is Being Demolished This Weekend
I have driven under this bridge for many years and was surprised to learn just how many semi-trucks crashed into it. Back in the day, truck drivers had to have route planners who would let them know about low-level over-passes, bridges, and routes that were not legal for large trucks to travel. Nowadays truckers have apps for this but even though the information is out there they still manage to whack some of the West Michigan bridges.
Read More: 100th St. Bridge Work Will Close 131 This Weekend
During the demolition and rebuilding of the 100th Street bridge, several traffic jams caused driving issues for almost a year but it's all better now. Does West Michigan have another bridge that needs to be rebuilt?
Is the 140th Ave Bridge the New 100th Street Bridge?
Recently a semi-truck was heading northbound on US-131 in Allegan County when it crashed into the 140th Avenue bridge. From the looks of the concrete chunks the Leighton County Fire Department was cleaning up, that semi hit the bridge hard. You can see from the 14ft 5in road sign that this is not one of Michigan's lower-level bridges. In the meantime, the bridge will remain closed until MDOT can fully assess the damage.
Not sure that the 140th Avenue bridge will be the new 100th Street bridge, for one it doesn't have its own Facebook Page and two I don't think any other semis have hit the bridge. This doesn't mean there couldn't be a rebuild in the future. I have never seen a bridge that goes over an overpass on a freeway that was on a dirt road. This might be a sign there may need to be a rebuild.
Connecting the State: Making the Mackinac Bridge
Gallery Credit: Scott Clow