Silver Street reopened

A major north-south route in St. Joseph County closed since July for bridge construction reopened this week.
Crews from Hudsonville-based Grand River Construction on Thursday lifted the Silver Street detour in Mendon Township after completing construction of a new bridge at the Portage River. The job was a full rebuild to replace a bridge that crew foreman Dean Stewart said was in excess of 30 years old.
Stewart said wood planking underneath the old bridge was rotting, contributing to the compromised condition of the former span.
He said the new bridge is 85 feet long and 50 feet wide, larger in both length and width than the bridge previously in place.
During the three-month construction period, Silver Street traffic was detoured east to Lakehead Road.