Demolition contractors are preparing the former Pere Marquette railroad bridge for demolition. The Port Huron Yacht Club has contracted with the Adamo Group of Detroit to remove the 92 year old bascule bridge at the mouth of the Black River. According to the Yacht Club, demolition is expected to take place over the next two weeks. Under a demolition permit granted in 2020 by the US Army Corps of Engineers, the bridge must be removed by the end of April of this year. The property in which the former railroad bridge lies was purchased by the yacht club in 2012. Since then, the yacht club has faced a nearly decade long fight against preservationists, the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regarding the bridge’s fate. Public plans have not been released for the property, however the yacht club cites “liability reduction and public safety” as reason for the bridge’s removal. The cost of demolition has not been publicly disclosed.
