State and local officials gathered Thursday for a dual ribbon-cutting and groundbreaking ceremony marking major milestones in the Blue Water Bridge plaza expansion project.
The event celebrated the near-completion of Component 1 and the official kickoff of Component 2.
Component 1 Wrapping Up
The $36.3 million Component 1 phase, which began in spring 2025, is substantially complete and expected to wrap up full operations this fall. Improvements include relocating Exit 275, rebuilding eastbound I-94/I-69, reconfiguring the 10th Avenue and Pine Grove Avenue intersection, and adding new noise walls.
The phase also created the new Scott Avenue pedestrian pathway and green space. Speaking with Blue Water News Network, Port Huron Mayor Pro-Tem Sherry Archibald praised the addition, noting, “It turned into a beautiful space for people to walk, to sit and to enjoy.”
Component 2 and Local Impact
Major construction on Component 2 begins Monday. The $300 million investment focuses on expanding the southern portion of the plaza, building a U.S. Customs and Border Protection outbound inspection facility, and relocating tolling operations.
Notably for local traffic, Component 2 will relocate Duty Free Americas inside the plaza flow and move local access to Canada over to the west side I-94/I-69 Business Loop. This will end the issue of semi trucks using the duty-free store as a shortcut to bypass freeway backups, which frequently gridlocks Pine Grove Avenue.
MDOT Project Manager Carrie Warren told Blue Water News Network that surface street disruptions during this phase should be minimal. “The hard part is over for community members,” Warren said, emphasizing that contractors are instructed to keep noise and dust to a minimum near local neighborhoods.
Timeline
Component 2 is fully funded and contracted, with construction expected to take four-and-a-half to five years, targeting completion by late 2030.
