The Little Mac Bridge on Grand Valley State University’s Allendale Campus closed at noon Sept. 6 for
maintenance and will remain closed for an unknown duration.

James Moyer, associate vice president for Facilities Planning, is overseeing the project.

“We apologize for the inconvenience, but we can complete the work more quickly by re-routing foot
traffic,” Moyer said in a release. “We’ll keep the campus community informed with progress reports.”

Though the bridge is said to be in excellent condition from repairs that were made four years ago,
erosion in the ravine below the bridge had reduced the amount of ground cover around the structure’s
footings, according to a study received by Campus Planning earlier this week. The study
recommended replacement of soil around the footings and further stabilization of the slopes
surrounding the ravine.

“The work is being done by FTC&H,” Moyer said, which is a group that has been working on campus
for more than 10 years assisting GVSU with civil engineering projects and other things.

“Part of their task is to help us develop a budget for the work,” Moyer said. “We don’t know yet what
the budget is because we’re working on that now.”

Moyer said the department is working with FTC&H to sort through solutions and is unsure of how long
the project will take.

“The erosion problem has been going on for years at the university because of how we manage storm
water,” Moyer said.

FTC&H has collaborated with Facilities Planning for a couple of years on managing the storm water
issue, Moyer said. The effort has provided several solutions to managing storm water including the
installation of rain gardens on campus, retention structures and a storm water management system
located near the TV tower.
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