Let's See How Far We've Come: The Grandview Parkway Reconstruction

Team Elmers, MDOT, and local business owners share their updates

By Victor Skinner | June 8, 2024

With reconstruction of Traverse City’s Grandview Parkway progressing slightly ahead of schedule, Team Elmers is now well into phase two of the first segment that’s on track to wrap ahead of the National Cherry Festival.

Team Elmers, the prime contractor for the $24.7 million Michigan Department of Transportation project, in mid-May concluded the first phase of Segment 1, which involved underground utility work, sidewalks, and paving the eastbound lanes from Front Street to Peninsula Drive, all lanes from Gilbert Street to Garfield Avenue, and all lanes on Garfield north of US-31.

While high water posed a challenge for replacing deeply buried stormwater treatment structures, “we haven’t found any surprises,” says Nick Broad, project manager for Team Elmers.

“Overall, it’s been relatively smooth,” adds Jim Johnson, MDOT’s project director. “It’s been a really good layout and plan we’ve been following.”

A New Flow

As the busiest state highway in northern Michigan, MDOT “knew there would be issues with traffic,” says MDOT spokesman James Lake, but feedback so far has been mostly positive.

“Overall, we’ve heard from a lot of people in the community, citizens, and businesses who are very pleased with the progress we’ve made at this point,” Lake says.

Team Elmers is now on the second phase of Segment 1, tackling underground utilities, sidewalks, and paving the westbound lanes of US-31 between Front Street and Peninsula Drive. The shift allowed MDOT to remove the north/south detour for Garfield Avenue, deactivate a temporary traffic signal at Eastern Avenue and Milliken Drive, and adjust signal timing at US-31 and Garfield Avenue for a new traffic pattern.

The change allows eastbound US-31 traffic to use the new eastbound lanes, while westbound traffic will remain detoured on Eighth Street and Railroad Avenue. The US-31 intersection at Peninsula Drive closes to through-traffic while crews upgrade storm sewers and rebuild the intersection.

“You can really see the difference in the traffic patterns going from Segment 1/Phase 1 to Segment 1/Phase 2,” Johnson says. “We’ll monitor the signals and the patterns and make adjustments as we see fit.”

Work on phase two of Segment 1 is slated to conclude ahead of the National Cherry Festival, which begins on June 29.

“At this point, we’re on schedule to meet that goal,” Broad says.

Construction on Segment 2 from Front Street to Division Street is scheduled to begin in July and run through November with lane closures and traffic shifts in both directions.

“I think people’s minds are shifting toward what it’s going to be like when it’s done,” Lake says.

Adding a Trail

In addition to road, sidewalk, and utility improvements, the parkway reconstruction will also coincide with the TART Bayfront Improvement and Extension project. Earthwork preparations on the first segment from Sunset Park to the Senior Center are currently underway, with work on that stretch expected to conclude before Cherry Fest.

The Traverse City Commission in May approved Team Elmers’ $1.2 million bid for the first phase of the TART project, which meant “things can move a little bit more quickly” by avoiding a public bidding process, says TART communications director Kate Lewis.

“Nothing in the project scope has changed,” Lewis says, adding that the work “is going to change our whole bayfront area.”

The trail improvements will expand existing trail width to 16 feet, with 10 feet dedicated for bi-directional bicycle use and 6 feet for pedestrian use. Work on the second segment from Division Street to Hall Street will begin after the Cherry Festival, followed by a final segment from Clinch Park to Murchie Bridge featuring 10 feet of cycle use and 10 feet of pedestrian use in mid-September.

“We are … pleased to announce that the Murchie Bridge underpass has reopened, with no trail closures or detours along the TART Bayfront planned for this summer,” an update on the TART Trails website reads.

Traffic shifts from the parkway reconstruction have had little impact on those who use the trails, but it has provided an opportunity for TART to promote other options for commuters to Traverse City.

“We … have put together a really great smart commute for folks that lists a lot of business to park in their parking lot and get around by bike or foot,” Lewis says. Information on the “park and ride” lots is posted on TART’s website, traversetrails.org.

Feeling the Impact

The shift to the second phase of the parkway project has also come with changes for businesses along the construction route.

Karl Bielman, owner of Nawbin Jewelry at 925 E. Front Street, estimates he lost 90-95 percent of his revenue during the first phase with no access for vehicles, and he’s looking forward to things improving in phase two.

“Most of my customers have been walking in by foot for the last three months,” Bielman says. “They’ve been hoofing it across major construction zones to visit.”

Because Bielman prepared for the downturn by limiting inventory purchases after Christmas and saving to pay bills for three months, he’s been able to weather the losses.

“I was able to do enough to plan ahead … so I didn’t go out of business,” he says.

Despite the severe consequences for Nawbin, Bielman describes the reconstruction as “a project that needs to be done, and I’m grateful it will be completed.”

“They’ve been working overtime,” he says of Team Elmers. “They’ve been super accommodating when they can.”

Sebastian Garbsch, owner of the Blue Goat Wine Shop at 875 E. Front Street, offered a similar perspective. “We’re definitely feeling an impact—it’s almost like COVID,” he says. “I think so far we’ve all been able to work 50 percent harder and squeak through.”

The Blue Goat’s foundation was cracked during removal of a sidewalk in the first phase, but Garbsch contends “it didn’t affect our business and didn’t cause any safety issues.”

“It hasn’t been an issue, and it’s being worked on,” he adds. “We’re like three feet from the project, so little things will happen.”

The second phase of Segment 1, he says, “is actually the part that’s going to be hardest for us” with work shifting to the north side of US-31 bordering his business.

“We’re going to be cut off almost,” he says. “We’re going to be the ones front and center in the middle of it.”

A slowdown during the Blue Goat’s busiest time of the year is concerning, Garbsch says, but he’s working to counter the impact with weekly care packages of cheese, snacks, beer or wine, available both for curbside pick-up or delivery. “We do deliveries throughout the week,” he says.

Like Bielman, Garbsch says he prepared for the project he believes will ultimately improve life downtown. “I’ve been talking with MDOT and Elmers now for 14 months, making sure the detours are the best they can be,” Garbsch says. “They are definitely doing everything they can.”

Broad says the same of business owners impacted by the construction.

“There’s been a lot of coordinating with businesses,” Broad says. “The businesses have been really great. They’ve been really supportive of the project.”

Photo courtesy of the Michigan Department of Transportation