Construction starts on US 41 roundabout

Construction has started on the Upper Peninsula's first-ever roundabout. The design, which was recently presented by the Michigan Department of Transportation in Marquette, will help the flow of traffic on U.S. 41. 

About 25 people attended a public forum given by MDOT and the city of Marquette in mid-April to discuss information for motorists, residents and business owners, since the roundabout is a new thing for the Upper Peninsula. 

"There were really a variety of questions people had," says James Lake, MDOT Superior Region representative. "Some had to do with the actual construction, others had to do with driving the roundabout and how to use it. Some business owners wanted to make sure people would have access to their business during construction."

The construction is scheduled to wrap up in mid-August, and will totally revamp one of the busiest intersections in the area, on U.S. 41 and Front Street. 

MDOT says the roundabout will be built in three phases, with Front Street closed to through traffic, and most downtown Marquette traffic directed to Grove Street. US-41 traffic will be maintained during construction. 

Lake notes crash safety factors will be better with a roundabout at that location, because currently the traffic flow uses several 90-degree intersections, which produce more serious and fatal crashes, according to traffic engineers. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provided money for the project.

"Early on, people voiced concerns about being able to drive on a roundabout, since it's not a familiar thing to many in the U.P. This will be the first roundabout in the U.P.," Lake says, adding MDOT feels drivers will get used to it quickly. "We think that local people, once they use it a few times, will become quite comfortable with it, and for people coming from out of town, it's less uncommon in most other areas of the country."

To help drivers feel more prepared to use the roundabout, MDOT has posted an animated YouTube video which can be seen on their channel or here.

"This video shows how the roundabout will appear when complete, and how simple using a roundabout can be," says Andy Sikkema, manager of the Ishpeming Transportation Service Center. "We know residents and business owners are feeling anxious about this new type of intersection, and we hope this video will help alleviate some of their concerns."