Stabenow, Peters, Kildee Announce $73 Million in Federal Funding for New Lafayette Avenue Bridge

Federal Grant Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law the Lawmakers Helped Enact

Tuesday, April 11, 2023

BAY CITY, MI – U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (MI) and Gary Peters (MI), along with U.S. Representative Dan Kildee (MI-08) today announced $73 million in federal grant funding to replace the 85 year-old Lafayette Avenue bridge in Bay City. The project will also create a shared-use bicycle and pedestrian path along the new bridge.  

The funding for the project is awarded through the U.S. Department of Transportation's Bridge Investment Program, which was established by the bipartisan infrastructure law the Senators and Congressman helped enact. 

“After 85 years of service, temporary closures, and repairs, the replacement of the Lafayette Avenue Bridge is long overdue. Because of our passage of the federal Infrastructure law, this investment will make this bridge safe for drivers and pedestrians for years to come,” said Senator Stabenow.

“This significant investment in Bay City will help replace this aging bridge — improving quality of life, helping residents commute to school and work more reliably and bolstering the local economy,” said Senator Peters. “I’m proud to have helped enact the bipartisan infrastructure law, which made this funding a reality.”

“I passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to repair Michigan’s roads and bridges and grow the economy,” said Congressman Kildee. “This long-overdue investment in the Lafayette Avenue Bridge will make Michigan more competitive and create good-paying jobs. In Congress, I will continue working with Republicans and Democrats to secure federal resources for our community.”

“Today, Michigan won a grant to help us keep fixing the damn bridges, saving drivers time and money and keeping traffic and commerce flowing,” said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “This $73 million investment will replace the 85-year-old Lafayette Avenue Bridge over the Saginaw River, a critical link in the Bay Region economy. Since I took office through the end of this construction season, we will fix nearly 20,000 lane miles of road over 1,400 bridges—including Lafayette Avenue. I want to thank Senators Peters and Stabenow, Congressman Kildee, and the other members of Michigan’s congressional delegation who voted for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Because of our collaboration, we’re moving dirt and getting it done.”

The Bridge Investment Program was created through the bipartisan infrastructure law to provide federal funding for bridge replacement, rehabilitation, preservation, and protection with the goal of improving safety, efficiency, and reliability. 

The Lafayette Avenue bridge is an important link in the transportation network of the Bay Region and has undergone increasing repairs and closures in recent years. 

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