Great Lakes Wire

Contractors working for the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) will close lanes and use traffic regulators on M-22 north of the M-72 intersection in Elmwood Township on Tuesday, September 16. The closures are necessary to allow paving work on the bay-side lane of the highway.

Traffic will be directed into a temporary pattern at the new roundabout during the week of September 22 as part of ongoing construction efforts. MDOT anticipates that only one lane of alternating traffic will be open during the closure, with flaggers managing vehicle flow. Drivers may experience delays during peak travel times.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer commented on statewide road improvements, saying, "Across Michigan, we are moving dirt and fixing the damn roads to grow our economy, helping Michiganders go to work, drop their kids off at school and run errands safely. By the end of this construction season, we will have fixed, repaired or replaced nearly 24,500 lane miles of roads and 1,900 bridges, supporting thousands of good-paying, local jobs without raising taxes by a dime. This year, let's build on our momentum to pass a bipartisan local road funding plan so we can keep fixing our damn roads and creating good-paying, local jobs."

The paving work is part of a larger project that involves rebuilding 2.2 miles of M-72 (Grandview Parkway) and M-22 (Bay Shore Drive), stretching from Division Street in Traverse City to Cherry Bend Road in Elmwood Township. Completion is scheduled for November 15 with full reopening expected in late October.

Project components include removal and restoration of concrete and composite pavement surfaces to improve ride quality; drainage upgrades such as curb and gutter installation along with storm sewer and culvert improvements; sidewalk replacements including upgrades for compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act standards; enhancements for transit buses; construction of a new roundabout at the M-72/M-22 intersection incorporating Bay Street; signal upgrades at Cherry Bend Road; improved driveway access management where feasible; and upgraded nonmotorized paths.

The work aims to restore surface conditions while improving accessibility features and public transportation infrastructure within Leelanau County.