Great Lakes Wire

To allow for paving work at the new roundabout at the M-72/M-22 intersection in Traverse City and Elmwood Township, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) will detour M-72 traffic for one day on Monday, Oct. 27, weather permitting. The paving was initially scheduled to be completed on Oct. 20 but was delayed due to rain.

According to MDOT, "During this work, M-72 will be closed at the M-72/M-22 intersection in Traverse City/Elmwood Township to just west of the intersection near the entrance to Tom’s Food Market. M-72 will be closed to through-traffic from Gray Road/Bugai Road to Bay Street but all businesses located along M-72 will remain open and accessible during the project."

The closure is expected to begin at 4 a.m. and end by 10 p.m. on Oct. 27. Detours have been established for both directions of travel: eastbound M-72 traffic heading toward Traverse City will use Gray Road, Cedar Run Road, West Front Street, and US-31/M-37 (Division Street) back to M-72; westbound traffic leaving Traverse City will follow US-31/M-37 (Division Street), West Front Street, Cedar Run Road, and Gray Road before returning to M-72. A temporary traffic signal will be placed at the Cedar Run Road/Harris Road intersection for both routes.

M-72 and M-22 between US-31/M-37 (Division Street) and Cherry Bend Road will stay open under the direction of traffic regulators; however, vehicles cannot proceed west on M-72 at the roundabout during this period.

This detour supports the final phase of a $25.8 million project by MDOT that involves rebuilding a 2.2-mile stretch of M-72 (Grandview Parkway) from Division Street in Traverse City and M-22 (Bay Shore Drive) to Cherry Bend Road in Elmwood Township. The project includes pavement removal and replacement, drainage improvements such as curbs and storm sewers, new sidewalks and nonmotorized paths, upgrades for local transit buses, ADA-compliant sidewalk ramps, construction of a new roundabout incorporating Bay Street intersection improvements, upgraded signals at Cherry Bend Road, and enhanced driveway access management where possible.

MDOT states that "These road closures will provide the safest work environment for paving crews."