M-185 Mackinac Island repair project starts May 10

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                             TUESDAY, APRIL 27, 2021

CONTACT: Dan Weingarten, MDOT Office of Communications, 906-250-4809
                      WeingartenD@Michigan.gov

M-185 Mackinac Island repair project starts May 10

COUNTY:
Mackinac

HIGHWAY:
M-185

CLOSEST TOWN:
Mackinac Island

ESTIMATED STARTING DATE:
Monday, May 10, 2021

ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE:
Mid-October 2021 

PROJECT:
The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is investing about $6 million to rebuild M-185 on Mackinac Island, addressing high-water and wave erosion damage on the shoreline. Roughly 4 miles of the highway around the island (the only state highway in Michigan that does not regularly allow automobile traffic) sustained ongoing damage that escalated in fall 2019 and winter 2020.

The project will repair armor stone along M-185, primarily along the eastern and northern shore of the island from north of Dennis O. Cawthorne Shoreline Trail to British Landing. One location on the western shore, near Devil's Kitchen, will also be repaired. Work also includes pavement repairs to previously washed out and damaged pavement.

Work is expected to begin in May with shoreline armor stone repairs progressing through to Labor Day. Pavement restoration will take place in September.  

A map of the project area is available on Mi Drive.

TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS:
The work will require 1-mile segments of M-185 to be closed during repairs. Work will start at the Devil's Kitchen location and then proceed to the eastern shore and move north to British Landing. Each segment will have bicycle/horse/pedestrian traffic detoured inland during repairs and will be reopened to traffic when complete. Detour routes for nonmotorized traffic will be similar to those used during last summer's emergency work on the island.

SAFETY BENEFITS:
This project will restore a safe pavement surface and mitigate future erosion damage.

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