M-185 sustained damage from high water and erosion in the fall of 2019 and winter of 2020.
Courtesy PhotoConstruction on M-185, the only highway in Michigan that doesn’t allow automobile traffic, has finished.
The construction that began in May of this year has been completed on time and within budget. The goal of the project was to repair damage to the road from the fall of 2019 and winter 2020.
“The high lake levels were eroding the road into the water. Large chunks of it were washed away; the rest of it was often covered in boulders,” Steve Brisson, director of the Mackinac State Historic Parks, said. “It was a disaster out here.”
The state highway, which is approximately 8 miles long and resides largely within Mackinac Island State Park, is maintained with help from the Michigan Department of Transportation.
"We had to come to a decision," Brisson said. "We either had to let the road go or do what MDOT did here. And it's a remarkable job, and this is what it will take to preserve this remarkable roadway."
The project was the final phase of road repair after a couple earlier emergency projects were conducted. The road now has a safe pavement top and washed-out parts are repaired and armored to mitigate future erosion damage. Pavement markings will be painted on the highway next year.
