BAY CITY, MI – The Liberty Bridge is predicted to open on the finish of this 12 months, which implies that drivers might want to get able to discover ways to use the brand new toll bridge.
Bay Metropolis Bridge Accomplice normal supervisor Lynn Pavlawk said that crews purpose to re-open the Liberty Bridge by the top of 2022 to site visitors. BCBP, a subsidiary of United Bridge Companions, has been working via the previous 12 months to rehabilitate the Liberty Bridge after leasing the construction from town.
Pavlawk gave a quick rundown of the tolling construction and system through the Nov. 7 assembly. She additionally spoke with the group throughout a “Espresso with the Crew” public occasion on Nov. 10.
Pavlawk mentioned that tolling will start on the Liberty Bridge initially of 2023 however Bay Metropolis residents with transponders won’t pay tolls till January 2028. Transponders are small stickers that drivers will placed on their windshields to be learn by the tolling gear on the bridge.
“If any of you guys use Mr. Automotive Wash, you might be most likely conversant in that as effectively,” Pavlawk mentioned. “However that will likely be a small sticker that can go in your windshield.”
Transponders will likely be accessible beginning on the finish of 2022 and there will likely be no value for the precise transponder. BCBP launched an internet system final week that enables customers to preregister for his or her transponders, which will be discovered on-line at: https://baycitybridgepartners.com/get-ready/
“In the event you go to our web site you may preregister – which will likely be a possibility so that you can present your info,” Pavlawk mentioned. “As quickly as we’ve got transponders accessible, we’ll attain out and make contact with you and stroll you thru the way to create your transponder accounts.”
Extra info on tolls and transponders will be discovered on BCBP’s web site at: https://baycitybridgepartners.com/tolling/
BCBP additionally has a map on its web site depicting who qualifies as a resident and who is taken into account a non-resident. In the event you stay inside the metropolis limits of Bay Metropolis, which is marked on the map with a dashed line, you might be thought-about a resident and can qualify. Click on right here to entry the map.
Primarily based on the knowledge Pavlawk introduced on Monday, non-residents driving passenger automobiles would pay $2 per crossing. Whereas Pavlawk didn’t point out what the speed for resident drivers can be after the 5-years of free tolls is up, BCBP beforehand informed the Bay Metropolis Occasions that it will be $0.50 per crossing.
A month-to-month subscription price of $15 {dollars} will likely be accessible to each residents and non-Bay Metropolis residents with transponders. The subscription price won’t be accessible for business automobiles, based on BCBP.
Resident drivers utilizing “medium” sized automobiles reminiscent of these pulling trailers, field vehicles, or cargo vans will likely be charged $2 per crossing whereas non-residents can be charged $4 per crossing. Each residents and non-residents driving giant automobiles reminiscent of semi-trucks will likely be charged $8 per crossing for each residents and non-residents.
Nonetheless, town remains to be engaged on negotiating with UBP/BCBP over the tolling construction.
On Monday, Nov. 7, an unspecified challenge with the tolling construction induced town to postpone signing off on the lease for the Independence Bridge to United Bridge Companions. Commissioner Jesse Dockett motioned to ship the lease settlement again to workers.
“There have been some parts of that concerning the toll construction that we simply weren’t totally thrilled about and we despatched it again to workers with suggestions for our attornies to speak to their attornies about to get it sorted out,” Dockett beforehand mentioned.
Dockett mentioned that he couldn’t go into specifics at the moment.
As for the Independence Bridge, UBP/BCBP was initially planning to construct a brand new Independence Bridge whereas demolishing the outdated construction after it entered into an settlement with town in 2019. Nonetheless, the corporate introduced this week that it’s planning on rehabilitating the present construction as an alternative as a result of elements reminiscent of inflation and provide chain points.
Learn extra from MLive
Plans for brand spanking new Independence Bridge scrapped, bridge will as an alternative be rehabilitated
Bay Metropolis Bridge Companions clarifies rumors concerning tolling timeline
Bay Metropolis modifies agreements with United Bridge Companions to give attention to leasing Independence and Liberty bridges
Crews pour first part of latest concrete on Bay Metropolis’s Liberty Bridge
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