You've heard the old saying about here in Michigan we have two seasons: winter and road construction. All the orange barrels are definitely indicating we are well into "road construction" season this year.

A big project in Newaygo will slow you down as you are making the trek north this summer. Many people opt to take M-37 instead of the very busy and congested US-131 when heading north or returning home on the weekends. This year that route will also have it's problems.

Beginning on Monday, June 7th, M-37 and M-82 in Newaygo will undergo some major reconstruction. The Michigan Department of Transportation is investing $3.4 million dollars into this project. About two miles of M-37/M-82 will be resurfaced. Also included in the construction are a new watermain, drainage improvements, sidewalk work, and updating of the traffic signal at Quarterline Street.

While driving through downtown Newaygo you can expect to find lane closures and traffic shifts. There will be a small detour for northbound traffic, moving vehicles over to Quarterline, Justice, and Water streets in order to make improvements. It looks like southbound traffic will not be detoured, however drivers can expect traffic shifts and lane closures.

This is not just a short term inconvenience. This project is scheduled to run through the summer and into fall -- with a completion date of late October 2021.

Here is a map of the construction zone, provided by the Michigan Department of Transportation. (Ignore that they forgot the "y" in "Newaygo"!)

M-37/M-82 Construction in Newaygo
Graphic: Michigan Department of Transportation
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For additional information and updates on this and other projects this summer, go to Michigan.gov/Drive or twitter.com/MDOT_West.

If traffic is too backed up, you can also stop off and go kayaking or canoeing at Wisner's, or maybe stop for some food and drink at Newaygo Brewing!

 

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