Langley Covered Bridge will close for restoration

After years of budgeting and several months of planning, St. Joseph County Road Commission officials are preparing for a months-long closure of the Langley Covered Bridge.

Agency manager John Lindsey said the county icon will undergo the most comprehensive restoration in its history starting this month and lasting through the end of the year.

Lindsey said the work is expected to start September 11th.

Grand Haven-based Anlaan Corporation is the contractor for the $3.2 million overhaul. Lindsey said Anlaan oversaw the most recent bridge-repair work, completed in 2009. Lindsey said the impending work includes replacing the wood deck that cars drive on and the exterior of the bridge will be re-painted before it is opened around Christmas. A support system under the bridge will also be replaced.

Angevine Road, which is less than a mile east of Covered Bridge Road, will be the recommended detour. A considerable stretch of Angevine Road was resurfaced last year in advance of the additional traffic it will carry while the covered bridge is closed.