Grand Traverse County commissioners approved a resolution last night affirming support for a long-discussed Hartman-Hammond bridge.

Discussion of the issue had originally been paired with a resolution to simultaneously withdraw support for a planned Cass Road bridge replacement in 2016. However, after nearly 20 residents spoke during public comment – representing groups including Traverse City Area Public Schools (TCAPS), the Northern Michigan Environmental Action Council, the Traverse City Commission and the Grand Traverse County Road Commission – to express support for the Cass Road bridge, commissioners agreed to separate the two projects and discuss them independently.

In addition to affirming support for a potential Hartman-Hammond bridge, commissioners passed a resolution to meet with the Grand Traverse County Road Commission, Boardman River Dam Project Implementation Team and URS Corporation in the coming months to review a cost analysis for the Cass Road bridge and to do “due diligence” to determine whether the commission wants to continue supporting the project.

Between $200,000-$300,000 has already been spent on the project's design, and the county has secured a $3.1 million grant from the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) for its completion. The project would replace the existing one-lane crossing over the Boardman River on Cass Road near Keystone Road with a two-lane span ahead of the Boardman River dam's planned removal in 2017.