There is much talk about fixing the roads in Michigan, but a less discussed problem carries bigger risks: bridges.
Transportation leaders say bridge repair is underfunded, causing safety issues across Michigan.
State data found more than 1,100 bridges in our state with a poor rating.
One of those bridges, Mill Road Bridge in Flint Township, was closed because it was in such bad shape. The Genesee County Road Commission Director of engineering, Eric Johnson, says it's expected to reopen this week.
"Are we doing the right things for the bridges? Yes and no," he says.
He says the state needs to give more money to the Michigan Department of Transportation for bridges. He says under-funding delays repairs or forces funding to come from the county's general fund. He says that was the case for the Mill Road Bridge.
According to MDOT, across Michigan, 243 state owned bridges have a poor rating and 860 locally owned ones do as well. In Genesee County, 20 state owned bridges have a poor rating, 47 locally owned ones do as well.
MDOT's Steve Katenhaus says this doesn't mean they're not safe.
"It's a flag to say we need to do something now otherwise," he says.