By Vincent Khan
BAY CITY – On Nov. 7 the Bay City Commission held a meeting focusing mainly on updates for tolling systems coming soon to the Liberty Bridge and Independence Bridge.
Bay City is divided by the Saginaw River making the four bridges that connect the city essential for daily commutes. The Liberty Bridge is currently the only bridge closed for repairs.
Lynn Pavlawk, general manager for the Bay City Bridge Partners summarized the progress of the repairs and provided updates.
“Testing and commissioning are taking place right now at the Liberty Bridge,” Pavlawk shared. “Construction has been going well and as of right now all concrete has been replaced and we are on track to reopen the bridge at the end of the year.”
Tolling will start for the Liberty Bridge in the first quarter of 2023. Tolls will vary by vehicle, resident, and method of payment. The bridge will have a device that scans vehicles and calculates the toll amount owed.
Transponders are sticker-like devices placed on a vehicle’s windshield to pay the toll as it gets scanned by the device on the bridge. It will provide a cheaper toll to those that have them, as well as to residents of Bay City.
If you don’t have a transponder, then the device on the bridge will scan your license plate, calculate costs, and send a toll fee through the mail. This toll will also include administrative fees, unlike vehicles with transponders.
Click here to learn more about the transponders and how the toll system will work for everyone.
The transponders will be available during the fourth quarter of 2022. There is no cost for the actual transponder itself, but you can see the photo for toll prices for vehicles crossing the toll bridge effective 2023.
Toll rates by vehicle class photo and residential location, Nov. 7, 2022; photo credit Vincent Khan
Plans for replacing the Independence Bridge are behind by 24 months because of Covid-19, supply chain issues, and labor shortages. The original plan was to demolish the old structure and build a completely new one. Due to the drastic rise of inflation in the past year, the bridge is now only going to be renovated.
One of the main concerns for renovation, the deck of the bridge, was described by Pavlawk as in really bad shape. She shared that the control systems that raise and lower the bridge need to be replaced sooner rather than later.
During the public hearing portion of the commissioners meeting, Bay City residents asked questions to the council and expressed their opinions on the information about the city and or bridges with pleasure and displeasure.
One man said he plans on never using the toll bridges and called it a money grab by the city. He stated he will go out of his way to use the other bridges around the city.
Andrea Birney is currently running for third ward commissioner. She shared that they approved some neighborhoods $4,000,000 towards corrosive water line repairs and still have yet to see the money to carry through with repairs.
Birney expressed that she has family and loved ones in these areas and claims that it’s unacceptable that this issue has not been fixed yet.
Andrea Birney shares her thoughts on promises made but not yet received after the Commissioner’s meeting Nov. 7, 2022; photo credit Vincent Khan
If you have any questions pertaining to the Liberty Bridge, please come to LoLo Bee’s Lounge on Dec. 5 and Dec. 15 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. LoLo Bee’s is located at 106 South Linn Street Unit A in Bay City. A group of speakers will be ready to answer all questions the public has about the bridge.
Wet informative, well-written article!
I wonder if the transponder data will be sold to third parties?