ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – After nearly five months of road closures, the reconstruction of Downtown Escanaba is almost finished.
Crews spent the summer replacing sewer lines and water mains beneath the roadway. Paving wrapped up earlier this month. On Tuesday, the City’s Electric Department reconnected light poles and traffic signals, completing some of the project’s final touches.
From 2nd Street to South 10th Street, the downtown now features parallel parking, bike lanes, a new traffic pattern, and new benches on the sidewalks. From Lake Shore Drive to 10th Street, the roadway also includes bump-outs and wider sidewalks to calm traffic and encourage walking. The entire street includes a bike lane on both sides of the roadway.
To celebrate the completion of the two-year project, the City of Escanaba and the Escanaba DDA will host a grand opening ceremony on Wednesday, September 16, at 1 p.m. The community is invited to gather at the marketplace for a ribbon cutting, with music provided by the Escanaba High School Marching Band. The owners of the two businesses that opened during the construction period—The Water Lily Gifts & Gather and CK Downtown Martini Lounge—will take the inaugural ride on the new roadway from 6th to 16th Streets. The owner of The Beaten Path will ride a bicycle on the new bike path, and the owners of the Swedish Pantry will ride the golf cart they used to bring customers to their restaurant while the roads were closed.
Tune in to WZMQ 19 News Wednesday at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. Eastern for coverage of the grand opening celebration.
