TRAVERSE CITY — Community members, city representatives, local businesses and interested residents are invited to an open house from 4-6 p.m. March 24 at Golden Fellowship Hall at 9700 Riley Road in Interlochen to discuss planned rebuilding work on US-31 near Interlochen.
According to the Michigan Department of Transportation, the project will rebuild a 7.8-mile section of US-31 from Sullivan Road in Green Lake Township, Grand Traverse County, to Reynolds Road in Inland Township, Benzie County. The work also includes rebuilding the South Long Lake Road and J. Maddy Parkway intersection as a roundabout.
Work on the $32.5 million project is scheduled to resume March 23 with tree-clearing and preparation work. Rebuilding on US-31 is expected to begin April 15, though it could resume earlier if weather allows.
MDOT said the project is intended to improve pavement conditions and safety through roadway rebuilding and widening, along with adding center left-turn lanes, widened paved shoulders and rumble strips.
During the first phase from April through June, the north side of US-31 will be rebuilt between Sullivan Road and west of J. Maddy Parkway and South Long Lake Road, including construction of the roundabout. Southbound traffic will remain on US-31 while northbound traffic will be detoured on Gonder Road, Riley Road, J. Maddy Parkway, Youker Road and County Road 633.
MDOT said access from J. Maddy Parkway to US-31 will remain open for most of that phase, but it will close for up to two weeks at the start of the work while crews build temporary lanes around the roundabout. Access from South Long Lake Road to US-31 will be closed, with traffic detoured on West Silver Lake Road and Secor Road.
From June through July, the south side of US-31 will be rebuilt between Sullivan Road and west of J. Maddy Parkway and South Long Lake Road, including continued roundabout construction. Southbound traffic will remain on US-31 while northbound traffic will again be detoured on Gonder Road, Riley Road, J. Maddy Parkway, Youker Road and County Road 633.
During that phase, access from J. Maddy Parkway to US-31 will be closed for most of the work. Access from South Long Lake Road to US-31 will be open only to southbound traffic, while other traffic will detour on West Silver Lake Road and Secor Road.
From July through November 2026, crews will rebuild US-31 from west of the South Long Lake Road and J. Maddy Parkway roundabout to Reynolds Road. Southbound traffic will remain on US-31 while northbound traffic will be detoured on Reynolds Road, Cinder Road, Diamond Park Road, Gonder Road, Riley Road and J. Maddy Parkway.
People who need mobility, visual, hearing, written or other assistance to participate in the March 24 meeting are asked to contact Orlando Curry at 517-241-7462 or CurryO@Michigan.gov, preferably at least five business days before the meeting. MDOT said requests made after that timeframe will be evaluated and honored to the extent possible.
MDOT said updates on the project’s design and detour route maps will be posted on the project website.