The Michigan Department of Transportation will begin construction on the Perry Avenue overpass over U.S. 131 later this summer.

John Richard, a communications representative for the Michigan Department of Transportation’s Grand Region, said the project is tentatively scheduled to begin in July and be completed in October.

“The damaged beam was removed last year as part of an emergency project, with a temporary concrete barrier wall blocking the loop ramp,” Richard said. “We are replacing the beam that was damaged in the crash as well as the back wall, bridge deck and railing."

The overpass was damaged in a car crash last August. A vehicle veered off the freeway, struck the east side of the overpass and caught fire. Two adults and a dog were killed in the crash. The freeway was closed or restricted to single-lane travel for nearly three weeks after the wreck.

Since the incident, the southbound loop on-ramp has been closed and will remain closed during construction. The other southbound on-ramp, located just west of the loop on-ramp, will remain open.

Stay tuned for more updates as the construction period approaches.

_{Photos courtesy of MDOT.}