It’s not the first time trouble has dogged the bridge. During construction in August 1982, a 300-foot section of the span sagged 5 feet, costing $7 million to repair. In March 1987, after a media report claimed the span was cracked in more than 100 places, the State Transportation Committee convened hearings on the bridge’s safety. In May of that year, former U.S. Rep. Bill Schuette, R-Midland, initiated a federal probe for the same reason.
In September 1987, the agency rolled a 262-ton truck over the span and conducted other load testing to silence critics’ questions about safety.
After $44 million in cost overruns, the $121 million bridge opened to northbound traffic in December 1987; southbound lanes opened in September 1988.