NEGAUNEE TWP, Mich. (WZMQ) – Following more than 10 years of planning, the Michigan Department of Transportation is investing roughly $6.2 million dollars to rebuild and widen more than three miles of M-35, creating a roundabout where it crosses with County Road 492. Workers began with tree clearing on April 27, before road work on May 4.
The intersection has held a long standing disruption to trucks and other large vehicles, causing drivers to make tight and quick turns.
“If you’re coming onto M-35 from the north, you have to make a jog to the left before continuing south,” said MDOT Superior Region Communications Rep, Dan Weingarten. “That’s inconvenient, especially for large mining and logging trucks that use that intersection.”
With the surge in roundabout construction throughout Marquette county over the past decade, Weingarten says this addition is expected to be a considerably smooth adjustment.
“When they were first discussing this project, we didn’t have a lot of experience with roundabouts in this area,” he said. “Now that we’ve had really good success with them, they’ve really helped push the design at M-35 and County Road 492.”
As a part of the project, The Iron Ore Heritage Trail will be rerouted to the north side of the roundabout, and its corresponding snowmobile trail rerouted on the south side. An alternate trail route will be open during construction, and the IOHT’s existing bathroom facilities will remain in place.
The project will be in full swing over the summer, with an end goal of mid-October. Drivers should expect single lane closures or are suggested to find alternate routes. For more, visit here.
