White Lake Township Bridge Closes After 62 Years of Service

On Monday, June 9, motorists in White Lake Township took their last travels across a 62-year-old bridge. The Oakland County Road Commission announced that the bridge on Avonlea Avenue will be closed to vehicle traffic while it awaits demolition in 2026. A new bridge will be constructed.

The road commission stated that the new bridge will be approximately the same height and width as the current bridge.

Craig Bryson with the Oakland County Road Commission confirmed the bridge's poor condition in an interview with 7 News Detroit. He shared several details from the bridge's annual inspection.

"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," he explained.

According to Bryson, first responders in the area have been notified about the bridge's closure, and they are familiar with alternative routes into neighborhoods served by the bridge. These routes will remain in use until fall 2026, as the new bridge is not scheduled to be built this year.

"Because this wasn't planned or scheduled, though, we don't have funding to do it this year. We were able to line up funding for next year. So, it'll be done in 2026," Bryson stated.

7 News Detroit spoke with a member of the Meyer family, who owns property adjacent to the bridge, on Tuesday, June 10. Earl Meyer's mother said her aunt bought the property in 1927. She remembers the bridge when it was made from wood and the construction of the current bridge in 1963.