The Van Buren County Road Commission is implementing a reduced weight limit on the 52nd Street bridge in Columbia Township.

The new weight restriction will limit the weight of any vehicle crossing the bridge to 7 tons, or 14,000 pounds. While doing its last inspection, the commission noticed issues on the deck piling which caused the weight restriction to go into effect.

Road Commission Managing Director Bret Witkowski told us more.

“They went out there and found some deterioration on the deck piling which supports the bridge deck,” Witkowski said. “Trucks are not going to be able to go over it until they can get repaired and waiting on bids to get it repaired to get it back up.”

The new weight restriction will go into effect within the next seven days when signs are posted and last until repairs are complete.

Heavier vehicles will be forced to find a new route and take the detour from 24th Avenue West to CR215.

The road commission has no date of when the repair will be made, but Witkowski said it will be sooner than later.

Witkowski noted signs should be up sometime next week. Once repair is complete, the weight restriction will be lifted.