LAPEER, MI - Asbestos-covered utility lines have led to a weeks-long delay in bridge work in Lapeer.
The Michigan Department of Transportation announced Monday, Aug. 24, that asbestos on an old steam tunnel has delayed work on the M-24 bridge over Farmers Creek in Lapeer.
"This project to reconstruct the bridge and install a pedestrian tunnel originally began on July 7. As work progressed, crews attempted to remove an old steam tunnel beneath the roadway and encountered abandoned utility lines coated with asbestos," reads a statement from MDOT. "Due to the sensitive and time-consuming nature of proper asbestos removal, portions of the project were delayed by nearly four weeks."
The delay will push the finish of the bridge work to the week of Sept. 21. It was supposed to be done before Labor Day. The entire project is expected to be completed by late October.
M-24 remains detoured at Farmers Creek via Demille Road, Saginaw Street, and Genesee Street. Updated information on the project can be found online at the Mi Drive traffic information website or free app at michigan.gov/drive.