Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


There’s no timeline for repairs to a now-closed nearly 150-year-old bridge over the Huron River.

The Washtenaw County Road Commission issued an emergency closure of the Maple Road (Foster) Bridge over the Huron River. It’s located between Huron River Drive and Country Club Road in Ann Arbor Township.

The closure is due to a failure in the bridge’s post-tensioning system, specifically a broken steel cable, which must be repaired before the bridge can safely reopen.

The Road Commission was alerted to the issue on Sunday, June 8th when a boater observed a potential structural concern and reported it. The damaged steel cable is part of the post-tensioning system installed during a major rehabilitation project in 2003.

Notably, a routine inspection conducted in May 2025 did not reveal any issues with the cable at that time.

The Maple Road Bridge is a truss bridge that is nearly 150-years-old.

In 2022, the Road Commission completed additional improvements to the bridge including cleaning, painting, and enhancements to the roadway approaches, such as drainage and guardrail upgrades. However, those improvements did not involve work on the post-tensioning system.

The Road Commission says it is actively collaborating with its bridge inspection and design consultant, as well as the contractor involved in the 2003 rehabilitation, to determine the next steps. The team is evaluating the potential scope of repairs, estimated costs, and a schedule to restore the bridge’s structural integrity.

At this time, there is no timeline for completing the repairs.

WCRC’s Operations Department says it is aware of the designated detour route and will continue to monitor and maintain the unpaved local roads along the detour to address any surface concerns.

WCRC will provide updates as more information becomes available on the project page. That link is provided, as well as to the detour route.