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| Menominee lane conversion to begin in July
Contact:
James Lake 906-786-1830, ext. 323
Agency:
Transportation
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July 3, 2008 -- To promote safety and calm traffic, the city of Menominee has partnered with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) to introduce a trial four- to three-lane conversion on US-41 north of the M-35 intersection.
Within the next few weeks, MDOT contractors will replace the existing pavement markings that designate four lanes on US-41, from the M-35 intersection to 48th Avenue, with new markings that create a center left-turn lane and one lane of travel in each direction. This lane conversion is designed to allow motorists to make left turns more easily, while allowing through-traffic to flow smoothly.
The Menominee City Council recently signed a resolution allowing the two-year trial, which will remain in effect for a minimum of one year. MDOT is funding the necessary changes to convert US-41 to three lanes, and also would fund conversion of US-41 back to a four-lane section should the city council request it.
"The city of Menominee supports the concepts of reducing accidents and improving traffic flow, something that may very well be achieved with a three-lane conversion on US-41," said Menominee City Manager Eric Strahl. "The only way to know if this will work in this particular situation is to try the conversion on a trial basis. Doing this also will allow residents and visitors to experience the new lane configuration before it is finalized and to provide their comments to both MDOT engineers and city of Menominee staff."
The end of the trial period corresponds with the beginning of a 2010 MDOT project to reconstruct US-41 in Menominee from 20th Avenue North to 48th Avenue. If the city and MDOT agree that the trial is successful, the three-lane configuration will be made permanent.
MDOT will compare accident and delay data and report findings to the city on an annual basis during the trial period. Once the trial is complete, any future lane configurations or cross section changes for US-41 through Menominee will be the responsibility of MDOT, although input from the city would be considered.
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