HUDSON TWP. — A hefty price tag for replacing a bridge over Beecher Road that was damaged by fire in November has the Lenawee County Road Commission looking for options.

The bridge — which crosses Saint Joseph Creek, just east of U.S. 127 and just north of Hudson — was severely damaged on Nov. 5 when an area resident’s leaf burn got out of control.

It has been closed since then, because it is not safe to drive on.

“At least two timber piles are out of alignment and the zinc sheets on top of the piles and galvanizing on the bridge guardrail have melted,” said Scott Merillat, managing director for the road commission.

For those components to have melted means the bridge was subjected to high heat for a long duration, Merillat said, and that means there’s a risk that the metal connections inside the bridge have been compromised.

“A timber bridge is 100 percent dependent on metal connections to hold the bridge together and distribute loads,” he said.

The cost to replace the bridge is estimated at $2,256,000. 

Because the county doesn’t have the budget to complete projects of that size with just local funding, Merillat said, the road commission is applying for state and federal funds, and is also working with its insurance company in the hopes that insurance money can be used as a match for state and federal funds.

The road commission is in the process of hiring a bridge engineer to work on the replacement bridge design and complete the required environmental reviews.