MDOT construction of Houghton’s College Ave. extended to 2023

HOUGHTON, Mich. (WLUC) - The construction of College Ave. in Houghton has been extended to 2023.

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) says the prolongment stems from unexpected complications in August.

This included the removal of large rocks and the capping of a mine shaft, as well as delays of steel reinforcement materials.

“We’ve pushed really hard to get this project done this season as was originally planned,” said MDOT Superior Region Media Representative Dan Weingarten. “But we’re running up against winter now and it’s clear that some work is going to have to be completed next year.”

Water and sewer work commissioned by the City of Houghton will also be delayed due to its reliance on MDOT’s construction progress.

“Being that it is an MDOT contract, which we are kind of partnering up with, some of our work is going to be delayed as well,” said Houghton City Manager Eric Waara. “We had to extend the engineer inspection services for the water/sewer contract because our work is going to have to wait along with the rest of MDOT’s work.”

However, MDOT officials say they plan to have College Ave. fully open before ending construction for the season.

“We still plan to finish paving and lift the detour to restore two-way traffic on College Avenue,” continued Weingarten. “We hope that it will be completed soon and are looking at around Election Day.”

The remaining construction for the project includes grating and restoration of the Franklin Square area.

“We anticipate that that will be about 5 to 6 weeks of work remaining on the project,” added Weingarten. “All of which should be able to be done without a detour using some lane shifts.”

According to Weingarten, the schedule for the summertime construction remains undecided, but MDOT is looking to start around May.