Longbridge Road can be rebuilt in the spring if $400,000 is acquired.

September 10, 2019

A recent view of Longbridge Road.
– Oceana County Road Commision photo

Longbridge Road can be rebuilt in the spring if $400,000 is acquired.

PENTWATER TOWNSHIP – Longbridge Road, which crosses Pentwater Lake at the Pentwater River oulet, has been closed since last May due to flooding caused by the high water level.

Recent high water levels have caused numerous infrastructure problems in the Great Lakes region.

The Oceana County Road Commission states in a joint press release with Pentwater Township issued Tuesday Sept. 10 that the road can be reconstructed this spring as long as $400,000 in funding is acquired for the project.

“The Oceana County Road Commission has received some preliminary soil boring reports from their geotechnical engineering firm, Soils & Structures. The reports show peat in varying depths which will make the original plan of reconstructing the road using an auger cast method not viable.

“The bridge engineer – Scott Civil Engineering – has developed a design based on the soil borings that it has used previously to successfully construct roads through swamps. This involves removing and/or pulverizing existing pavement; placing geotech fabric; placing a several foot sand lift layer; wrapping the sand lift with fabric to add stability; placing aggregate; and paving. A guard rail would likely need to be added for safety to account for the raised road bed, and heavy rip rap would be placed on both banks. The project is anticipated to cost less than $400,000 based on an initial engineer’s estimate.

“When speaking to Travis Chapman, Sen. Jon Bumstead’s legislative

Sen. Jon Bumstead (R-Newaygo)

director, we were informed that there was no special project funding available in the upcoming year’s budget. Chapman and Sen. Bumstead have been in regular contact with the road commission attempting to acquire funding since the road was initially closed.

The road commission is having Scott Civil Engineering perform topographical and profile surveying, and do the project design and permitting so the project can be built in the spring provided the necessary funding can be acquired between the road commission, Pentwater Township and other sources.”

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