Langley Covered Bridge re-opened

A six-week detour around Langley Covered Bridge ended this week, as the county icon – sporting a fresh coat of paint – opened to traffic Thursday morning.

The closure, which went into effect April 16, was necessary for workers to complete the final portion of a $3.2 million overhaul that originally started Sept. 11. When the main component of the work was finished and the bridge re-opened in mid-January, St. Joseph County Road Commission officials quickly informed the public that a second closure would be necessary in the spring for workers to paint the 282-foot-long structure.

Garrett Myland, assistant manager and engineer for the Centreville-based agency, said the job required roughly five gallons of primer and about 40 gallons of paint. Its shade is “Red Barn.”

Myland said the painting portion of the bridge cost about $370,000. The steel painting underneath was done by Indiana-based subcontractor Civil Coatings and Construction Inc. Meanwhile, Grand Haven-based Anlaan Corporation, which performed the four-month rehab, painted all other parts of the bridge, including its timber siding.