Congressman Fred Upton has secured a $1.5 million grant for a project to replace five bridges along the state-owned Kalamazoo to Dearborn rail corridor. His office says the funds will be used for preliminary engineering and preparation of National Environmental Policy Act documents to replace the bridges used by Amtrak’s Wolverine and Blue Water trains. Upton says the trains provide an important link between Kalamazoo and the Detroit area, and on to Chicago and points west. Replacing the bridges will ensure the trains remain in service. In addition to federal grant money, Amtrak and the Michigan Department of Transportation are providing 25% funding matches. Funding for the grant comes from the Fiscal Year 2021 Federal State Partnership State of Good Repair Grant Program. The work also will increase load ratings for the bridges, which are located in Kalamazoo, Augusta, Jackson, and Ann Arbor.
