A class action lawsuit between the United Bridge Partners and motorists who used the Independence Bridge between January 1st and March 1st, 2025 has now been filed in a federal court.
The decision was made in the U.S. District Court last week by Judge Mark Goldsmith. Motorists allege that the Bridge Partners breached contract by charging tolls before they had fully completed renovations on the aforementioned bridge.
They also argue that the Bridge Partners had deprived motorists and bridge pass holders their rights to 24/7 access to the bridge with periodic shutdowns after the reopening of the Independence.
In the filing, the Bridge Partners argued there is no case for damages, as people paid for bridge crossings and received them.
Legal representatives on both sides of the case did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
The hearing had also involved Bay City itself. However, the court dismissed all allegations against the city due to a lack of involvement.
Bay City's council unanimously leased both the Liberty and Independence Bridges to the United Bride Partners in 2019 after stating they could no longer afford to maintain all four city drawbridges. It was known at the time that both bridges would apply tolls after the deal closed.
City Mayor Christopher Girard told WCMU in January 2025 that privatizing the bridges was unavoidable after county, state, and federal partners left everything up to the city.
"And unfortunately, the city being the low man on the totem pole, did not have the resources. And they weren't misappropriated or spent elsewhere, just the reality of the bridges," Girard said.
The Independence Bridge reopened with a $5.50 toll for non-residents, lowered down to $2 with a transponder. Larger vehicles are subject to higher prices according to the Bridge Partner's website.
In February 2025 the Bridge Partners announced they would double the cost of their unlimited Bridge Pass from $15 to $30. While they did not end up going through with the change, they did remove the unlimited pass option for non-residents at the end of the year.
Two of the bridges, the Lafayette and Veteran's Memorial, remain public property and free to cross. However the Lafayette is currently closed for renovations and is not scheduled to reopen until next year.
In December, the state House Appropriations Committee pulled $1.6 million in earmarked funding for the Lafayette Bridge. The funding has not been restored.
A trial date for the class action lawsuit has not yet been set. The Bay City Bridge Partners did not respond to a request for comment.
