Over the last 70 years, the blowing sand and lack of ditch maintenance have created large dunes adjacent to US-2. The lack of suitable drainage in these areas has caused water ponding on the shoulders and traffic lanes. In many areas, the sand dunes are high enough and so close to the paved shoulder of US-2 that snowplows cannot effectively remove snow from the highway during the winter months. This problem becomes worse as winter progresses and there is not enough storage capacity for the snow due to the height of the dunes. The ponding water leads to ice formations on the shoulder and travel lanes, creating unsafe conditions for motorists.

MDOT is partnering with the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to study the impacts that a proposed ditch construction would have. This open dune community throughout the project corridor contains four state and federally listed plant and animal species, including:

The proposed project involves construction of a V-bottom ditch along each side of the highway to a depth of 1.75 feet with 1 on 4 side slopes. The slopes would then be revegetated with native dune grass and stabilized with temporary sand fence where needed.

The U.S. Forest Service has prepared a Scoping Document to obtain early input from various federal, state and local agencies, and interested groups. Following the solicitation of comments, MDOT will continue work on completing an Environmental Assessment (EA). This document will study different alternatives and their human, economic and environmental impacts, and the required mitigation. Further agency and public involvement will occur during the study process.

MDOT expects to complete the study by summer 2007 followed by fall construction.