Pontiac’s long-shuttered Martin Luther King Jr. bridge is finally starting to look like a bridge again, with the deck poured and roadway work moving into view. After years of detours, the project is now on track for a December 2026 reopening target.
The reconstruction began in November 2025, and July work has included removing the existing roadway, grading, installing pan decking and reinforcement, pouring the bridge deck, and continuing barrier wall, sidewalk and noise wall construction, according to The Oakland Press. The project schedule calls for roadway work to continue toward South Boulevard and Woodward Avenue before the final stretch of signs, cleanup and site restoration later this year.
A Safety Closure Turned Into A Four-Year Detour
The MLK Boulevard bridge was closed in 2022 after inspections found serious structural problems, and the old span was eventually demolished. Residents told WDIV that the closure has added time to everyday trips, including drives between Pontiac’s east side and nearby medical facilities.
A 2025 bridge-condition report presented to the Pontiac City Council identified MLK as the city’s only vehicular bridge among structures rated serious or critical, with demolition and reconstruction planned as a safety project. The same City of Pontiac bridge report listed roughly $14.1 million for the MLK project and another bridge-related allocation for the Paddock structure over the Clinton River.
Funding And Engineering Delayed The Start
The project’s slow rollout has been tied in part to the complicated mix of state and federal funding. In April, Pontiac Mayor Mike McGuinness told WDIV that the city had to wait for federal approvals before construction could safely begin, and said the engineering design phase took about 36 weeks.
WDIV also reported that Pontiac received $10 million from the state and more than $4 million from the federal government for the bridge. With crews now working on the deck, approaches and surrounding roadway, the long-running project has moved beyond planning and into the kind of visible construction residents can track from week to week.
The Reopening Date Is Still A Target
The city’s timeline remains a December 2026 reopening rather than a firm day on the calendar. If the work stays on schedule, the final months will bring sidewalks, streetlights, guardrails, fencing, pavement markings and cleanup before traffic can return, The Oakland Press says.
