White Lake Township residents are bracing for the looming closure of a local bridge, a necessary action due to severe structural deterioration. As of Monday, June 16, 2025, the Avonlea Avenue bridge, spanning a tributary of the Huron River, will be shut down, with the Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC) citing public safety as the paramount concern. "The safety of the traveling public is our top priority," RCOC Managing Director Dennis Kolar said in a statement released by the Road Commission for Oakland County. "After discovering significant deterioration during a recent inspection, we made the difficult decision to close it on June 16 to protect residents and motorists."
Meanwhile, for residents like Earl Meyer, who grew up next to the bridge on Avonlea Avenue, the closure brings a somewhat unexpected peace. "I'm excited. It's going to be quiet. Ya know, there won't be so much traffic going back and forth for a while," he chuckled in a statement obtained by WXYZ. The RCOC explained that the 62-year-old bridge cannot be used safely anymore, and although residential access exists on both bridge sides, the primary objective is to avert any risk.
Despite the upcoming inconvenience, the RCOC has confirmed that emergency response teams have been briefed on alternative routes to ensure their access to the neighborhoods. "It's concerning, but ya know, we've got the fire station over here and we got one over off of Round Lake Road," Meyer said, understanding the situation but reassuring residents that there are ways around it, as told to WXYZ. David Hale, who lives next door to the Meyers, expressed relief at the decision. "It’s about time," he said, acknowledging the bridge's dangerous condition.
According to CBS News Detroit, the replacement of the bridge is earmarked for 2026 with funds already identified for this infrastructure project. "In the last inspection, we noted that it had deteriorated quite a bit more from the last time we did the inspection. So, in an abundance of safety, we want to keep vehicles off it now because it's deteriorating to the point where it shouldn't be driven on," RCOC spokesperson Craig Bryson explained, according to an interview with WXYZ. Until the new construction commences and is completed, motorists will have to adjust to revised travel routes, dealing with the compounded realities of infrastructure aging and budget timelines.
