A $70 million construction project designed to extend the life of the Zilwaukee Bridge is set to begin in April.

MLive.com reports the project on the roughly 8,000-foot Interstate 75 bridge over the Saginaw River in Saginaw County will include additional roadwork on the freeway.

The Detroit News reports the work includes replacing more than 150 massive bearings on the bridge, which was built in the 1980s.

Traffic shifts are planned during the project, which is expected to continue into 2014 and end in 2015.

Officials with the Michigan Department of Transportation held a meeting this week in Zilwaukee Township to explain the project.