Construction is set to begin midweek along 1.1 miles of Business Loop I-75 stretching from Boulevard Drive near the Shell gas station on US-2 in St. Ignace to just south of High Street, according to representatives from Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). Work is to begin the week of July 6.

At left: Cones appeared along Business Loop I-75 Tuesday, July 7, when repaving work began along the main road into St. Ignace. The repaving project will run from near First Street on US-2 to High Street. Two lanes of traffic will be maintained for the majority of the work and a completion date is expected near the end of August, according to Michigan Department of Transportation. The approximately $1.3 million repair project, which is anticipated to be completed by August 28, will include removal of asphalt and cement road surfaces, asphalt repaving, and drain improvements along the length of the project, plus construction of traffic barrier curbs near Northern Lights Restaurant and Aurora Borealis Motor Inn. No work will be done to the road surface on the overpass bridge over I- 75.

Residents and business owners are invited to weekly informational meetings to be held by the state highway department in St. Ignace City Council Chambers each Wednesday at 9 a.m., beginning July 15. Here, community members may receive updates on work plans and progress and bring up any questions or concerns.

One concern voiced by city officials during the open house at city hall Wednesday, July 1, was that access to businesses and the downtown area should not be obstructed.

"If we notice a problem impeding access to a business," said MDOT representative James Lake, "we can adjust."

Mark Sposito, who owns the Mackinac Grille restaurant at the north end of the construction work, said he hopes the project doesn't discourage people who are traveling down US-2 from visiting the downtown area.

"Of course I'm a little worried about it," Mr. Sposito said. "At the same time, I know it has to be done."

He spoke with a representative from the highway department, who gave him a telephone number to call if there were any problems or concerns.

For the majority of the project, one lane of traffic will be open in each direction and access to businesses and residences will remain open, said Peter Paramski, the project's chief engineer.

"We're going to do everything in our power to keep businesses open," Mr. Paramski said. "We'll try to limit our impact."

He said closing both lanes in either direction and using a flag system would be kept to a minimum, and traffic could flow normally in either direction for "at least 98 percent"

of the project. Access may be blocked to certain businesses or residences briefly to pave the driveway portions of the road, but Mr. Paramski said this would only last about 45 minutes.

Those in charge of the project at MDOT have taken note of weekend festivals and events in the city, like the Red Hacker Basketball Tournament and Fish Feast, and agreed to do no work on those days. Mr. Paramski also said he did not anticipate any night work, and construction crews would operate within the daytime hours of the city's noise ordinance.

Benefits listed by the state for repaving this section of St. Ignace's main street include improving safety and extending the life of the pavement.

"It's been on the state's list of future plans for over five years," Mr. Paramski said. The new curbs being installed near Aurora Borealis and Northern Lights will also promote safety by creating a barrier between street traffic and parking lots and driveways of the businesses, he said.

No detour will be part of this project, although an alternate route for Mackinac Straits Hospital will receive hospital "H" signs for about a week, expected to begin the week of July 13, when crews will be blocking access to Burdette Street, the normal route to the hospital. This temporary route will begin on Ferry Lane off the business loop and continue down Elliot Street and onto Hombach Street, to the hospital.

Downtown Development Authority Director Deb Evashevski suggested during Wednesday's meeting that orange signs to be placed in the construction area by MDOT be changed from reading "Businesses Open" to read "All Businesses Open." MDOT officials agreed and changed the order for the three commissioned signs. One of these signs will be placed near High Street facing southbound traffic, one will be near the I-75 bridge facing motorists traveling toward downtown St. Ignace, and one will be on the I-75 off-ramp for motorists who just crossed the Mackinac Bridge.

Paving will be done by Payne and Dolan, a paving contractor based in Waukesha, Wisconsin, with offices in Sault Ste. Marie. Subcontractors will be brought in to complete other elements of the project such as gutters, drainage, and curb repairs and installation.