Sterling Heights, county to split cost of Schoenherr bridge rehab

STERLING HEIGHTS — The city of Sterling Heights is looking to the county to split the cost of rehabbing the Schoenherr Road bridge.

At its May 20 meeting, the Sterling Heights City Council voted to approve a cost-sharing agreement between the city and the Macomb County Department of Roads for the rehabilitation of the Schoenherr Road bridge over the Red Run between Moravian Drive and 15 Mile Road.

According to the agenda description, rehabilitation work includes deck replacement — which will provide barrier-protected public sidewalks on both sides of the bridge — as well as vehicle barrier relocation, beam end repair and bearing replacements, substructure patching, end diaphragm replacements, slope repairs and riprap, approach work and guardrail replacement and other miscellaneous repairs.

The estimated cost of the project, including construction costs, administrative charges and preliminary and construction engineering, is $5.439,430, with $4,224,800 coming from federal funds. The remaining cost ($1,214,630) is to be split equally between Sterling Heights and the MCDR, leaving each to pay $607,315.

The goal of the agreement, according to the agenda item, is to save public funds and expedite the project.

“Mobility and making sure our community is accessible through a robust system of paths and trails is a key guiding principle for our city’s vision and the Schoenherr Road pedestrian bridge supports that as a prime component of the Iron-Belle trailway system,” City Engineer Brent Bashaw said in an email.

Bashaw said the bridge was identified as needing rehab as a result of the city’s routine pedestrian bridge inspection program. They also determined the Nature Center bridge over the Clinton River and the Lakeside Island bridge also required rehab, which is currently underway, he said.

Funding for the project in the amount of $500,000 was written into the 2025/2026 major road fund budget, so a budget amendment of $107,315 was proposed. The amendment, as well as the agreement, were both unanimously approved at the meeting.

Bashaw said the project is expected to be completed by the end of May.