Traffic Signal Installation Starts at Traverse City State Park; Lane Closures Expected

Crews began installing a new traffic signal at the relocated U.S. 31 campground entrance for Keith J. Charters Traverse City State Park on March 2, 2026, the Michigan DNR said, and motorists should expect intermittent single-lane closures on U.S. 31 while the work proceeds. The Outdoor Wire and TraverseTicker report the installation itself is anticipated to take about two weeks, with related utility connections this spring creating occasional lane closures.

The signal installation is part of an $8.5 million park modernization funded from federal American Rescue Plan relief dollars set aside for state parks from a $273 million pool. The Outdoor Wire lists project components that include a redesigned park entrance, a new at-grade pedestrian crossing, a new campground contact station, a relocated park headquarters building, and an expanded sanitation station, all to meet Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility guidelines.

Officials said traffic-control notifications will precede the work and initial operation of the new signal will be staged. Traverseticker quoted the DNR: “Additionally, pedestrians should expect temporary sidewalk restrictions,” and “The project is anticipated to take two weeks. Digital message boards will be posted one week before construction starts.” 910 News summarized planned sequencing: “Once the traffic signal is installed, it will operate in flashing mode for approximately one month. Officials expect the signal to become fully active in late April. The pedestrian crosswalk at the campground entrance will remain closed until the light is operational.”

The signal will replace a decades-old pedestrian bridge that once connected the campground and beach; MLive reports the bridge was removed in September (the report does not specify the year). MLive quoted the DNR’s rationale: “The bridge could not stay in addition to the new traffic signal, the DNR said. The bridge height would block the incoming traffic signal and therefore the two could not exist together.” MLive’s rendering shows a proposed 60-foot at-grade crosswalk and the new traffic signal; image credits are to Integrated Architecture | DNR and Team Elmers.

Adjacent transportation work by MDOT will run in parallel this spring. The Outdoor Wire and 910 News describe a $1.6 million MDOT project to move the day-use beach entrance east to align with the existing signal at the Three Mile Road–U.S. 31 intersection and to update that intersection, a change that may cause intermittent closures to the day-use area. Officials stressed the Lake Michigan beach day-use area is expected to remain open, though visitors could encounter temporary closures during intersection work.

The campground, which MLive says “consistently ranks in the top five most booked campgrounds in the state” and creates weekend backups on U.S. 31, closed in July 2025 and is scheduled to reopen April 1, 2027. DNR Director Scott Bowen has committed to finding a new location for a replacement pedestrian bridge that would reconnect the campground with the beach, a pledge reported by MLive following his July 24 statement. The signal is scheduled to run in flashing mode for roughly one month after installation, with full activation expected in late April 2026; travelers should watch for the digital message boards that will be posted one week before work begins.