Michigan Department of Transportation Director Paul Ajegba did a walking tour along College Avenue from Michigan Technological University to Franklin Square Thursday morning. He was joined by Rob Tervo and Al Anderson, respectively the manager and construction engineer at MDOT’s Transportation Service Center in Ishpeming.

“All indications from our field people here is that everything is going very well,” Ajegba said.

The two-year, $9 million College Avenue project involves the reconstruction of the road between MacInnes Drive and Franklin Square. Work is expected to be completed in September.

To improve pedestrian safety, Townsend Drive was converted from four lanes to two. College Avenue is being widened to allow for a turn lane, which is hoped to reduce traffic backups.

Garrett Neese/Daily Mining Gazette A trio of Michigan Department of Transportation officials — Director Paul Ajegba, center, and Al Anderson and Rob Tervo of the Transportation Service Center in Ishpeming — talks with Bacco Construction supervisor Kevin Rogan, left, during a tour of the College Avenue road construction in Houghton Thursday.

The project also includes sanitary sewer and water main upgrades. While there’s been overlays, College Avenue hasn’t had a major reconstruction since it was built, Ajegba said.

“This is the first time we’ve actually had a chance to take everything out, fix all the pipes underneath and put back a whole new pavement that’s going to last a long time,” he said.

As a field engineer, Ajegba said he enjoys getting to see the progress of construction firsthand.

“I’m the transportation director of the entire state, so getting the chance to come up and spend some time with our team up here goes a long way for them to also know they’ve got the support of us in Lansing,” he said.

Ajegba also stopped to talk with several of the workers from Bacco Construction who are working on the project. He got to have a joking conversation with one 45-year construction veteran about how it’s easier doing freeway projects.

“You don’t have to deal with all the underlying pipes and sewer system,” Ajegba said. “Freeway construction, you take the pavement out, put it back, you move on. So it was good to have that kind of conversation with somebody.”

The $3.5 billion being spent on infrastructure this year is a state record, up from $1.2 billion in 2018, Ajegba said.

“Because of the governor’s emphasis on fixing our roads and infrastructure, the commitment and the funding is there to do that,” he said. “So all across the state anywhere you drive, you see a lot of construction going on. And I always say construction is a sign of progress.”