A small group of local, state and national officials — including U.S. Rep. John Dingell (D–Mich.) and Ann Arbor Mayor John Hieftje — gathered directly beneath one of Ann Arbor’s two Stadium Bridges Monday afternoon to discuss a multi-million dollar project that aims to completely rebuild the deteriorating bridges.

The gathering came after Friday’s news that the U.S. Department of Transportation will foot nearly $14 million of the projected $23 million to reconstruct the two bridges, which earned a Federal Sufficiency Rating of only 2 out of a 100-point scale.

According to Hieftje, the $13.9 million grant is exactly what the long-planned reconstruction project needed to finally get off the ground.

“This is going to enable us to continue just about full force,” Hieftje told the assembled crowd of about 30 government officials.

In a separate speech, Jackie Shinn, deputy director of the Michigan Department of Transportation, said the project has been on the to-do list of MDOT officials for quite some time.

“I have been working with the department for 32 years and I believe I started talking about this project 10 years into my job,” Shinn said.

As Shinn pointed out, the two bridges — which run across State Street and the Ann Arbor Railroad, respectively — are integral to the local and state economy since they provide a literal corridor through which tourists, goods and technology can travel.

According to a press release issued Friday, the bridges serve roughly 48,000 vehicles per day.

In her speech, Shinn commended Dingell on his efforts to secure federal funding for the reconstruction project.

“Congressman Dingell’s office got involved … in a very big way,” Shinn told the crowd.

Dingell’s support included sending letter on Oct. 11 to U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, which expressed Ann Arbor’s dire need for the grant.

“Without investment and repair, this corridor will be closed to thru traffic isolating the University of Michigan (U-M) and Ann Arbor residents from the rest of the region,” Dingell wrote to LaHood.

In an interview after the presentation, Dingell said he’s considered the damaged bridges an issue ever since he assumed office in 1955.

“It’s been a problem for my people in Ann Arbor for as long as I’ve served Ann Arbor,” Dingell said.

He added that he regards the bridges as a vital link between Ann Arbor and the rest of the state and that a reconstruction project will have only positive economic results.

“It’s going to be a very important factor in encouraging the development of industry and business because good transportation is definitely important to those kinds of activities,” Dingell said.

According to Dingell, the rebuilding of the bridges will also facilitate growth within the University community.

“The University is going to prosper by being able to better attract industry and (offer) jobs to the benefit of the community and the state,” Dingell said.

In a separate interview, Jim Kosteva, the University’s director of community relations, agreed with Dingell, saying the University is excited about the opportunities the project offers.

“We have an active interest in seeing these bridges successfully rebuilt,” Kosteva said. “Being able to move goods and services and people throughout the community is very important to the University.”

In an interview after his speech, Hieftje said the current bridges are “in bad shape,” adding that he’s looking forward to the project getting underway.

“We’ve been working on this for several years,” Hieftje said. “It’s just great to get this funding.”

According to Hieftje, the rest of the funding for the $23-million project will come from local and state sources.

“We have more than adequate funding to make the match,” Hieftje said.

Hieftje said construction will begin next summer and is expected to finish in about 18 months.