St. Joseph bridge unable to safely open to vessels, vehicle traffic not impacted

ST. JOSEPH, Mich. -- According to St. Joseph Harbormaster Mike Moran, the Bicentennial Bridge over the St. Joseph River that connects Benton Harbor to the City of St. Joseph is "secured to masted navigation at this time."

This means that boats that can fit under the closed bridge are still free to pass, but the bridge will not be raised to allow passage to taller vessels. 

"During a routine inspection, Michigan Department of Transportation found a lift cylinder issue that would not allow the bridge to raise properly for vessel traffic to pass," Moran said. "Vessels which are able to safely transit under the bridge while it is in the lowered position may do so at any time, and the bridge remains fully usable to roadway traffic."

Officials say MDOT is currently looking to replace the cylinder and an estimated time to repair will be announced once a timeline is established.