U.S. 41 West in Marquette Township is pictured. The stretch of highway, is the subject of a $5.7 million resurfacing project that started last week. (Photo courtesy of Michigan Department of Transportation Communications Representative Dan Weingarten)

By DREYMA BERONJA

Journal Staff Writer

MARQUETTE — Road construction projects in Marquette County are on schedule to be completed this fall.

The Michigan Department of Transportation is investing around $5.7 million in joint repairs, resurfacing and safety improvements on 6.2 miles of U.S. 41 and M-28 from Iroquois Drive to Brickyard Road spanning from the city of Negaunee, throught Negaunee Township ending in Marquette Township.

Work includes asphalt resurfacing, full-depth joint repairs and adding left-turn lanes.

“Highway crossovers will be reconfigured from the east intersection with Heritage Drive to the end of the grass median east of Pond Road,” MDOT communications representative Dan Weingarten said in an email. “This will include building truck loons, areas of pavement outside of the normal traffic lanes to provide additional room for commercial vehicles to turn.”

MDOT, Forsyth Township and the Marquette County Road Commission invested around $4.4 million to rebuild 0.66 miles of M-35 starting east of Smith Street and ending at the east branch of the Escanaba River in Gwinn.

Work includes asphalt rebuilding; concrete curb, gutter and sidewalk ramp installation; storm sewer and drainage repairs; bridge approach repairs; watermain and sanitary sewer repairs; detour route improvements; and pavement markings.

Weingarten said construction has been going smoothly for both projects.

“On U.S. 41, the first phase — joint repairs — went faster than expected, which lead to a lull in activity after July 4. The pause was good for the project: Traffic running on the joint repair patches before the milling and resurfacing phase ensures maximum compaction of the patches,” Weingarten said. “The contractor and subcontractors will be back on site this week to begin working on grading and reconfiguring the crossovers.”

After grading and reconfiguring the crossovers, milling of the existing pavement will be done, followed by repaving.

On M-35, crews are working to complete utility work in the area near Gwinn High School.

“Around the end of July or early August, we should be ready to shift traffic to the other (northbound) side of M-35 and begin work on the southbound side,” Weingarten said. “There will be no change in the detour route.”

Weingarten said that both projects are on schedule. The U.S. 41 Negaunee-Marquette project is estimated to be completed in late September, while the M-35 Gwinn project is estimated to be completed in October.

On site, MDOT construction engineer Alan Anderson said in an email that there have not been any safety issues so far.

“On U.S. 41, work zone widths were adjusted during the previous stage while crews were making the joint repairs, to move traffic over to the outside shoulder so more room was available to do the work,” Anderson said.

As far as challenges go on site, Anderson said traffic control has been the biggest. He said adjustments have been made to signs and closures to make them clearer to motorists and ensure the contractor is able to do the work.

“On M-35, local traffic has had to become accustomed to the one-way detour,” Anderson said. “M-35 is open in the southbound direction and M-35 northbound is detoured via M-553 and Southgate Drive.”

Weingarten said the only other major MDOT construction project planned for this season in the county is the approximately $5.7 million U.S. 41 and Lakeshore Drive roundabout west of Ishpeming.

“That project was let for bids in June,” Weingarten said. “The contract has not yet been awarded, but if that happens as hoped, we should have preliminary work starting on that two-year project later this fall.”

Dreyma Beronja can be reached at 906-228-2500 ext. 548. Their email address is dberonj@miningjournal.net.