Langley Covered Bridge back open after second closure

CENTREVILLE – A six-week detour around Langley Covered Bridge ended this week, as the county icon – sporting a fresh coat of paint – opened to traffic Thursday morning.

The closure, which went into effect April 16, was necessary for workers to complete the final portion of a $3.2 million overhaul that originally started Sept. 11. When the main component of the work was finished and the bridge re-opened in mid-January, St. Joseph County Road Commission officials quickly informed the public that a second closure would be necessary in the spring for workers to paint the 282-foot-long structure.

Garrett Myland, assistant manager and engineer for the Centreville-based agency, said he is pleased with the paint job.

“We had them do a couple extra things … they had painted the one side and it didn’t quite look right at first, so we talked with them and they ended up re-painting the west side just to try to get everything to blend in better,” he said. “So, that took a little extra time but I think it looks good.”

Myland said the job required roughly five gallons of primer and about 40 gallons of paint. Its shade is “Red Barn.”

He explained there were actually two different paint jobs performed; the steel beams underneath were painted using a three-coat process. Next, workers turned their attention to the bridge part itself, using an air-spray tool to apply the paint.

Myland acknowledged the minor inconvenience motorists faced the past month and a half, having to follow a detour to the east to Angevine Road in order to cross the St. Joseph River.

“(Covered Bridge Road) is my normal route into work, so I’ve been having to follow the detour myself,” he said “It’ll be nice to finally take my normal route into work again.”

Myland said the painting portion of the bridge cost about $370,000. The steel painting was done by Indiana-based subcontractor Civil Coatings and Construction Inc.

Meanwhile, Grand Haven-based Anlaan Corporation, which performed the four-month rehab, painted all other parts of the bridge, including its timber siding.

This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: Langley Covered Bridge back open after second closure