Work on the M-22/M-72 roundabout is expected to start in mid-April. According to a Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) communications representative, they will not detour traffic, so many people entering and leaving Leelanau County via Traverse City must navigate the construction zone.
MDOT held an open house at its transportation service center in Traverse City on Tuesday. MDOT staff and contractors answered questions from the public about how the project will affect their commutes.
“Our intention is not to detour traffic during this construction,” MDOT media contact James Lake said. “We intend to have all three legs of the M-22/M-72 intersection open during the project. We will partially close a leg at times, with flag controls and one lane of alternating traffic, but we’re only planning to do this when there’s less traffic.”
Instead of detouring traffic, Lake said their crews will only work on one half of the road at any given time. Meanwhile, north- and south-bound traffic or east- and west-bound traffic will have to share the other half of the road. MDOT did something similar last year during the Grandview Parkway/Front Street project.
Lake said MDOT’s construction contractor, Team Elmers, will work continuously from mid-April to November. Unlike the Grandview Parkway/Front Street project, which started in March and ended November 2024, there are no scheduled pauses for the National Cherry Festival or other events and holidays.
“Many of our staff and contractors live and work here, so we sympathize with people commuting through here and want to make the construction cause as little disruption as possible,” Lake added.
At the time of writing, Lake said that pedestrian and bicyclist detours have not been determined yet. He said that sidewalks and the Traverse Area Recreation Trail (TART) are sometimes unavailable when they are being replaced and upgraded. He noted that MDOT is working with TART and other groups to provide detour options.
This $26 million project includes replacing the threeway stoplight at the intersection with a roundabout, rebuilding over two miles of road, improving drainage, improving public transit stops, and improving driveway access management where possible.
According to a Jan. 30 MDOT press release, pedestrian hybrid beacon signals will be installed to the west and north of the roundabout and at Discovery Pier. There will be pedestrian refuge islands at crossings at Elmwood Township Marina and between Carter and Rennie roads.
The press release also states that sidewalks and shared-use paths will be replaced or extended on both sides of the road with ramps that are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
M-72 is currently closed west of the intersection, so crews can move underground electric utilities in preparation for the roundabout project. The estimated end date for this road closure is March 3. If weather conditions allow, construction on the roundabout may start earlier than mid-April.
