Rochester trail users will get a formal celebration of the new Bridge 31.7 on Sept. 24, when the Paint Creek Trailways Commission (PCTC) holds a ribbon cutting ceremony for the completed span.

The ribbon cutting appeared on the commission's agenda for its Tuesday, Sept. 15, meeting at Rochester City Hall. PCTC Manager Ingrid Kliffel oversees the 8.9-mile trail, which was the first non-motorized rail-to-trail in Michigan when it opened in 1983.

The bridge replacement, led by the City of Rochester in partnership with the PCTC, removed a nearly century-old, deteriorated railroad trestle at mile marker 31.7. The project was estimated at $958,800 in a January 2023 PCTC resolution supporting a Transportation Alternatives Program grant application. The City of Rochester committed $191,760 toward the work, according to PCTC meeting minutes from March 2023.

The old bridge measured 12 feet wide and 43 feet long, with severe deterioration in its piers and abutments. The replacement is a pre-fabricated steel structure measuring 14 feet wide and 70 feet long. It is ADA accessible with no ramps, and a handrail was added along the railing.

The trail reopened in June. Demolition of the old bridge wrapped up by Nov. 20, 2025. The new bridge was delivered and assembly began in early March. The City of Rochester's project page confirmed on June 9 that the bridge was complete and the trail was open. During construction, trail users were detoured through a section of Dinosaur Hill Nature Preserve.

The trail stretches through Rochester, Rochester Hills, Oakland Township, Orion Township and the Village of Lake Orion, drawing more than 100,000 visitors a year, according to the PCTC.

Beyond the ribbon cutting, the Sept. 15 agenda included a temporary use application from the Clinton River Area Mountain Bike Association for an event on Oct. 10. Details of the application were not publicly available as of the meeting date. The commission also reviewed an update on the Labor Day Bridge Walk/Run held Sept. 7.

The next PCTC meeting is scheduled for Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. at the Paint Creek Cider Mill, 4480 Orion Road, Rochester.