A $3.3 million project to replace signage on the nearly 50 mile stretch of Interstate 75 from Sault Ste Marie, MI to St. Ignace will be completed in early 2023, according to Michigan Department of Transportation officials.
The project started in Spring of 2022 and consists of replacing nearly 1,800 signs and posts along with several completely new signs being erected.
Daniel Weingarten, MDOT Superior Region Communications Representative, says other improvements include overhead sign structures, guardrail upgrades, and reflective roadside delineators.
MDOT replaces the signs and posts every 15-20 years to keep them visible at night and to meet current federal safety guidelines.
When we asked Weingarten about the more durable steel posts being replaced along with the wood posts, he told us this.
“Wood posts deteriorate, rotting and splitting over time, while steel rusts, bends and experiences fatigue from the weight of the signs and from repeated wind loads.”
"Even if they look good during the daytime, signs lose their nighttime reflectivity over the years. Replacing the posts at the same time as the signs is actually the most efficient and cost-effective way to perform the work."
The cost of the project is funded fully by the Federal Government.
The funding is managed by the MDOT Traffic and Safety staff in Lansing
