Superiorland residents know that every minute of summer needs to be savored. The long winter months keep the majority of us stuck inside and away from the activities we love and that is why it can be so frustrating to spend so much of our time sitting in our cars, often with antsy kids, stuck in road construction.

As trees bloom and flowers blossom, road cones and construction crews seem to spring into view at the same time and while that may frustrate us, its a necessary evil.

The roads in the state of Michigan have become something of a punchline in recent years and while Gov. Whitmer’s call to “fix the damn roads” has seen some improvements made, any area motorist will tell you that there is still a long way to go.

In the Marquette area we have already seen crews hard at work on many projects throughout the area.

Last September, the Michigan Department of Transportation began a $6.4 million project to place a roundabout at the interesection of U.S. 41, M-28 and Lakeshore Drive in Ishpeming. The current work sees much of the northbound lane of the highway and while delays are seemingly minimal, Memorial Day weekend will almost surely leave some of us waiting while construction crews keep work moving.

The project will continue throughout the summer, with the opposite side of the highway looking to be closed around mid-July. The roundabout project is slated to finish in October.

Other major projects in the area sees work being done on M-35 in Gwinn from east of Smith Street to the east branch of the Escanaba River.

While it may not be ideal for motorists, the overall benefit to our roads makes it well worth the wait, so if you’re stuck in road construction this Memorial Day weekend, just remember that the long-term benefit outweighs the short-term waiting.