TRAVERSE CITY — There are concerns about the pedestrian bridge over U.S. 31, in front of the Traverse City State Park being knocked down.
The date to close the park for construction is drawing near. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is planning to make changes to their headquarters and the way campers get in to the park.
All construction for the state park will be done in 2026, and that includes the pedestrian bridge being knocked down and changed into a new intersection with a crosswalk and traffic light.
“For me, I think it feels a little safer that, you know, you’re getting away from traffic completely,” says Sandra Oatley, a camper staying at State Park.
Construction at the Traverse City State Park is slated to begin in July. People have taken to fakebook to share their concerns over the removal of the bridge. Many are afraid the new crosswalk won’t be safe.
Both Arthur and Sandra Oatley say they will still cross the road.
“Maybe just being obviously more careful, you know, watching everything even though they’re stopped. Right. Keeping an eye on it. But, you know, I mean, and it’s going to be the only way to get over there, right? So, if you want to go, you’ve got to use it.”
The Grand Traverse County Commission signed a letter back in April asking the DNR to keep the bridge. We reached out to East Bay Township for comment but they declined. The DNR says the new cross-walk will be safe.
“I’m just going to say there are tons of pedestrian crosswalks all over the state, all over the county,” says Stephanie Rosinski, “And this isn’t any different than the crosswalk that is existing already at three mile, four mile or anywhere else in the county.”
The new crosswalk is expected to meet Americans with Disabilities Act Standards and also lighten up traffic for people entering the campground. The DNR says it will also allow them to respond to emergencies faster.
“A lot of times, we get a call that there’s something going on over at the beach. We see the ambulance come in and we’re still sitting here trying to turn left out of the park. We see the ambulance leave. We can’t even get over there to respond to that. “
For the Oatley’s, the bridge brings back nostalgia and they plan to say their goodbyes before they end their trip.
“We kind of talked about trying to make one last trip because we’re leaving tomorrow. So, we thought we’d better make one more trip over the bridge and back.”