The Napier Avenue bridge over the St. Joseph River is expected to reopen to public traffic by Memorial Day weekend. The Berrien County Road Department announced Thursday construction crews are working to have one lane in each direction back open by that time. Interim Director Kevin Stack says the department is grateful for the hard work of the crews, adding the bridge is “a key artery in our community, providing the best route to Lakeland Hospital, so it was important for us to reopen this as quickly as we could without sacrificing safety.” The Napier bridge was shut down last month when crews doing a rehabilitation project on it saw a rocker arm fail. The bridge was reopened to police traffic and ambulances last week, although fire trucks haven’t been allowed on it. Stack promised more updates for the public as progress is made on getting the bridge ready for Memorial Day safely.
