The Blue Water Bridge (BWB) plaza expansion project on the U.S. side is entering its next phase.
Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) staff joined local officials for a groundbreaking and ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday to celebrate the start of Component Two and the completion of Component One.
MDOT BWB Administrator Amy Winn said the day had been in the making for a long time.
"This project is very unique, it's complicated, and there's been some challenges along the way," Winn said. "But, we have been steadfast in our quest to ensure that we not only made improvements here to the plaza, but that we really took into consideration the needs of the community."
Component one - which Sarnia News Today previously reported was expected to cost $36.3 million - included the relocation of the I-94/I-69 Exit 275 to M-25 (Pine Grove Avenue), reconfiguration of the 10th Avenue and Pine Grove Avenue intersection, rebuilding parts of eastbound I-94/I-69, and installing sound walls to reduce traffic noise.
Port Huron CAO James Freed said MDOT did an "incredible job" listening to the neighbourhood and factoring their concerns in.
"You think about a big state bureaucracy that will hold a neighbourhood meeting and then literally go back and redesign a project based on that feedback," said Freed. "That doesn't happen, I can't imagine in every state and with every department, but MDOT is incredibly responsive to the feedback of our community."
Acting Port Huron Mayor Sherry Archibald thanked the city's residents who provided feedback.
"Without that, this project might not have been what it turned out to be," said Archibald. "This could have been just a big ugly wall and it turned into a beautiful space for people to walk, to sit, and to enjoy."
Construction on Component Two -- an approximately $300 million investment -- is anticipated to start on Monday, August 10.
The work will primarily focus on expanding and reconfiguring the southern portion of the plaza, including: building an outbound inspection facility for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and relocating the tolling operation facilities, Duty Free Americas and a local access ramp.
MDOT said traffic impacts on surface streets are expected to be minimal during Component Two. However, it will notify the public in advance of any potential traffic restrictions, as needed.
State Transportation Director Bradley Wieferich said construction is expected to take five years to complete.
