M-26 repaving to begin
By DAN SCHNEIDER. DMG Writer
POSTED: April 30, 2008
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The resurfacing of the state highway will be done concurrently on two different pieces of road: 3.5 miles going from the east side of Dollar Bay to west of Tamarack City, and 2.1 miles from east of Hubbell through Lake Linden.
James Lake, communications representative for the Michigan Department of Transportation in the Upper Peninsula, said the last time these two stretches of road were resurfaced was in the early 1980s.
Resurfacing within the Village of Lake Linden will include the corner of Calumet Avenue and 10th Street, and extend up a portion of the hill toward Calumet.
Lake Linden Village Clerk Robert Poirier said the resurfacing will be a temporary inconvenience. But, he said, it will accentuate streetscape improvements the village completed last year, such as historical streetlights and paver crosswalks.
“You’ll have the paver cobblestone crosswalks and with the new pavement sort of taking the patchwork look out of the road, that will be a big improvement for sure,” Poirier said.
The project will entail single lane closures with flag control on both stretches to be resurfaced.
“On some days, there’s the potential for motorists to encounter two, lane closures,” Lake said.
According to a press release from MDOT, motorists can expect delays of up to 10 minutes, and may want to consider U.S. Highway 41 as an alternative.
The project’s anticipated completion date is Oct. 31.
In some places, the existing surface will be cold milled before fresh asphalt is put over the top.
The project includes accommodations for non-motorized traffic.
“In addition to the paving, we’re going to be building eight-foot-wide paved shoulders in the same area that can be used as a multi-use pathway for bicycles or walkers,” Lake said.
The total cost of the project is $2.6 million.
“For the resurfacing project, it’s about $2.2 million and then we also obtained a transportation enhancement grant of $400,000 and that’s for the paved shoulders,” Lake said.
Bacco Construction Co. of Iron Mountain is the contractor on the project.
New guardrails will also be installed to bring the roadway up to current safety standards. Sidewalk improvements including new construction and repair of existing sidewalks are also part of the project.
Poirier said the village is currently seeking funding to complete streetscape improvements from Fifth Street to 10th Street.
Dan Schneider can be reached at dschneider@mininggazette.com
