MDOT Hosts March 24 Open House for $32.5M US-31 Rebuild Near Interlochen

Tree-clearing equipment is set to arrive on US-31 near Interlochen on March 23, the opening move in a $32.5 million rebuild that will reshape 7.8 miles of the highway before construction wraps up this season.

The Michigan Department of Transportation is hosting a public open house on Tuesday, March 24, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Golden Fellowship Hall, 9700 Riley Road in Interlochen, where MDOT staff and contractors will present plans and take questions about the project. The meeting is open to community members, city representatives, local businesses and interested residents.

The reconstruction stretches from Sullivan Road in Green Lake Township, Grand Traverse County, south to Reynolds Road in Inland Township, Benzie County. The scope goes well beyond repaving: the project includes roadway rebuilding and widening to improve pavement condition and provide safety improvements with the addition of center left-turn lanes, widened paved shoulders and rumble strips.

One of the more significant changes involves the intersection of South Long Lake Road and J. Maddy Parkway, which will be rebuilt as a roundabout. That intersection sits along a corridor that funnels traffic toward Interlochen Center for the Arts and the surrounding lakes community, making it among the most closely watched elements of the project for local drivers.

Tree-clearing and preparation work resumes March 23, one day before the open house. Full rebuilding work on US-31 is expected to begin April 15, though MDOT says crews could start sooner if weather allows.

Golden Fellowship Hall is located at 9700 Riley Road in Interlochen, MI 49643. The open house runs from 4 to 6 p.m. and requires no advance registration based on available information; MDOT staff and contractors will be on hand throughout the two-hour window to answer questions.