Road Construction

Spring is here and with it comes road construction. Here in the Marquette area, there is going to be plenty of road work this spring and summer. Call me crazy, but I get rather excited to hear about roads in the local area being worked on. It's a mentality that has been with me ever since I was little - but I will admit that waiting through a construction zone can get pretty aggravating, especially when you don't plan enough time to be waiting at a construction zone and end up being late for your destination. Obviously road construction is a headache while it's going on, but the finished product makes all that worth while.

As I mentioned, there is lots of road construction activity taking place this year within the Marquette area. The majority of the projects are being funded with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. These are projects that have been on the back burner and were "shovel ready," meaning projects ready to begin at a moments notice except they lacked the needed funding to start. The ARRA helped many of these projects get off the ground. I am a big supporter of the infrastructure-portion of the ARRA because much of the nation's roads and bridges need work. The last time such a project took place was during the last major economic crisis around the time of the depression. But I don't believe enough money was allocated towards infrastructure improvements in our country with the ARRA and was wasted on other areas. That's just my opinion; take it with a grain of salt if you disagree.

One of the first road projects to get started this season is along US-41 and M-28 in South Marquette and in the nearby community of Harvey. The road crew there is replacing concrete joints and fixing potholes by pouring new cement in these areas. This is a five-lane stretch of road that was originally built in the 1960's. The cement used to build this highway is 40-50 years old. Obviously it's nearing the end of its life, but the state department of transportation is hoping to "extend the life" of this stretch of pavement by fixing joints and potholes. A similar repair was last done in this area only three years ago, yet here we go again. And I remember the incredible traffic back-ups that existed when the highway was shrunk down to two lanes. I had never seen the traffic backed up as badly as it was; and there were no accidents that day! What does that tell you about the condition of the road surface itself - in that three years later, more joints are being replaced. Obviously the Michigan DOT is doing the most proactive thing it can do by replacing the joints and potholes and extending the surface life of the road. I imagine if they would've let this road deteriorate even further and not done any repairs for two or three years, it could've been in much worse shape. It's clear to me these sections of roadway are in need of a total overhaul sooner rather than later. But like I've said in previous blogs, the state of Michigan is facing major budget obstacles and it's not likely to get any better in future years. Moneys for roadway repairs will continue to dwindle further and further.

Another project being funded with ARRA money is the eastbound lanes of 41/28 right along the busiest stretch of highway in the Upper Peninsula - between Wal-Mart and the Holiday Inn. MDOT doesn't want to cause massive traffic back-ups on this stretch of road during peak driving hours, so they are going to perform the majority of the work at night. The last time this roadway was resurfaced was at least ten years ago - and it certainly needs the work. Underneath the layer or two of asphalt is an old concrete highway. Along with the asphalt, the cement is also deteriorating. So the road crews have to repair the joints on the old cement portion of the highway along with resurfacing the asphalt to make for a more smoother ride. I cannot say exactly when this portion of highway was originally built, but my best estimate would be in the 1960's and '70's. It, too, needs a total overhaul but that's something we'll likely not see for sometime. And I've got to admit, the last resurfacing held up pretty well within ten years-time. Here's hoping the next round will last just as long.

The next project is a complete resurfacing of state highway 553 from the junction of US-41/28 to the junction of County Road 480 at the Crossroads. It's a little over six miles of roadway and again, this resurfacing is sorely needed. This is a project that MDOT has funded on its own as it is not using any ARRA money. Roughly ten years ago (if not more than that), this roadway was classified as a county highway with no state jurisdiction. MDOT took over this roadway from the county after K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base closed and the county moved the airport to the former air base. At the time, a major state highway was not designated in and around the former air force base. Seeing that the airport was moving out there and people needed to be familiar with a route to and from the airport that they could find on a map, they took over this and another highway from Marquette County. Minor repairs have been undertaken on this stretch of roadway since MDOT took over, but no major repairs (except for the installation of a new bridge after the spring floods in 2002). I travel part of this route on a daily basis, so I am looking forward to a much smoother ride.

Last but not least for this construction season is a major reconstruction of an intersection within the community of Harvey and the resurfacing of US-41 south of Harvey to Beaver Grove. The intersection in question is where M-28 heads east towards Munising and US-41 heads south. North takes you to Marquette and west takes you to County Road 480. It's a busy intersection that has a six-phase traffic signal. Much of the traffic either heads east or north and during busiest peak travel times, the one lane of traffic designated for these traffic movements usually is inadequate. The surface of the intersection is also in bad shape - again it's that 1960's-era concrete that has outlived it's usefulness. I know MDOT has tried to patch the worst spots at the intersection, but it hasn't been enough. The road surface is crumbling and MDOT is taking the initiative to completely reconstruct the intersection with asphalt and to erect a new modernized traffic signal there. I am hoping as part of the intersection's reconstruction, two lanes of traffic will be designated for the eastward-moving cars traveling on M-28. That is where I can see the biggest improvement existing for this intersection as well as a better timed signal, too. And typically I never have to travel east from this intersection but I can just imagine the frustration that some people must feel of waiting and waiting at this signal daily due to the congestion that exists. Hopefully the work planned this summer at this location will alleviate some of the frustration of drivers here.

Along with the work at this intersection is the resurfacing of US-41 south of M-28 for approximately three miles. This stretch of roadway is two lanes and underneath the three layers of asphalt is a crumbling concrete roadway. Again, I don't know the exact age of the original roadway, but I would guess at least the 1950's. MDOT again will do a quick patch and fix of this highway that needs a total reconstruction. I believe the last time they resurfaced this road was only four years ago. But already, it seems much older with the surface crumbling at the joints in the old concrete road. If they ever do decide to reconstruct this roadway in the future, I am hoping they at least put in a two-laned highway with a center turn lane. It has become a busy stretch of highway that is in need of expansion and reconstruction. Here's hoping the latest resurfacing last much longer than the last repair did.

I feel as if I may be boring some people with the subject matter of road construction. Can you tell that it's a passion of mine, even though I am sitting on the sidelines? If I was smarter at math, one of my dream jobs would've been to become a roadway engineer. But, it wasn't meant to be. At least in regards to roadways here in the Upper Peninsula, they usually do not hold up for that long. And that is why road construction will always exist!