GAYLORD, Mich. – Following inspections and scans that identified no erosion concerns, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) will lower the US-23 bascule bridge in Cheboygan, and reopen it to roadway traffic at 7 a.m. Saturday, April 25.

MDOT raised the bridge April 12 to protect against potential damage from debris flowing down the Cheboygan River, and to keep vehicle occupants and pedestrians safe. During the closure, US-23 traffic was detoured south to the Lincoln Avenue Bridge, which is upstream from the dam complex.

MDOT engineers will continue to monitor water levels and conditions at the Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex upstream from the dam. An operator from the Cheboygan County Road Commission will be on site, ready to open the bridge in an emergency if needed.

On April 10, Governor Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency for Cheboygan County due to rising water levels at the Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex. By declaring a state of emergency, the governor has authorized the use of all available state resources to assist local response and recovery operations in the affected county.

The Michigan State Police Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division (MSP/EMHSD) activated the Joint Information Center as the source of State of Michigan information dissemination related to the current State Emergency Operations Center activation.

For more information, visit Michigan.gov/cheboygandam, sign up to receive MSP and SEOC news releases and follow MSP/EMHSD on Facebook and X.