Calhoun County seeks state help to replace two 24‑Mile Road bridges closed for safety

Representative Frisby and Calhoun County officials presented on June 11 about two bridges on 24 Mile Road in Sheridan Township that have reached structural insufficiency and been closed in recent months, isolating travel and increasing emergency response times.

Christine Parsons of the Calhoun County Road Department and Sheridan Township Supervisor Richard Porter said two bridges (structure IDs 1381 and 1383 over Rice Creek) are past useful life after repeated temporary repairs. Parsons said the county applied for MDOT statewide bridge program funds but faces competition for limited statewide funding and that the statewide need far exceeds available capacity.

Nut graf: County officials said replacement is critical for residents, farmers and businesses; closures have increased emergency response times, led at least one business to close, and threatened movement of agricultural equipment.

Porter said an emergency response on the north side of a closed bridge recently required a vehicle to detour, producing a roughly 10‑minute delay for a burn victim. Parsons said the best option is to design and construct both bridges at once to capture economies of scale and build to current MDOT standards, including hydraulic sufficiency to avoid scour.

Ending: Officials asked for state support and said design and environmental studies would likely take at least a year; they estimated design costs around $200,000 per bridge, with construction timelines depending on permits and funding.