Febuary 6, 2023
Michigan roads are some of the worst in the country, and residents know it.
Conversation complaining about the newest section of road that is degrading is so commonplace that Michigan’s current governor ran on the promise to “fix the damn roads.” This unifying disdain for potholes affects most Michiganders, except one group of residents. Tom Tunison drives through Michigan’s upper peninsula at least 6 times a year to Michigan Technological University in Houghton from his home downstate, and says Yoopers, people living in Michigan’s upper peninsula experience a much different road situation.
“In the UP, you notice the roads are much nicer in the UP versus downstate. They are flat, with not a lot of potholes.”
There are also less roads per mile in the UP, which allows the road commission’s budget to be allocated to taking action on degrading areas before they become unbearable. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Rebuilding Michigan program which allocated $2 million to be “focused on rebuilding state highways and bridges that are critical to the state’s economy and carry the most traffic” according to the Michigan Department of Transportation.
This was put towards an overall $8.8 million project called US-2 Rebuilding Project – Bessemer to repave 10 miles of U.S. 2 from the Cut River to Worth Road and from Wildwood Lane to Brevort Lake Road, which is located on the lower shore of the UP near the Mackinac bridge. It is set to be complete in Fall of 2022. As of October 23, 2022, construction is still underway.
Orange construction cones and detours aside, the scenic changes once across the Mackinac bridge can be noticed immediately. US Route 2 curves along Lake Michigan showcasing views of water stretching for miles past the human eye’s view. Empty white beaches create a barrier between the bustling road and calm shores. While miles of waterfront can be seen from US 2, only two official parking lots were made for beach goers. It is not uncommon to pass vans and cars stopped on the shoulder during the warm summer months whose drivers are enjoying the water or stretching their legs on an unofficial hike. The lake will continue to make appearances, but first the road bends inward deeper into the forest.
Despite being in the same state, the Routes in the UP are enclosed with a different variety of trees than those surrounding major highways downstate. Tall, haunting red pine trees loom over the road in large clusters like ghosts over a graveyard. Golden orange tamaracks contrast their darkness with wispy leaves that grow like snowflakes. These are complemented by yellow leafed aspen trees with long light gray trunks. Red Green spruce and leafless trees break up the autumn colors, together creating a picture of distinct colors melting into a one forest.
Drivers looking to upgrade their typical bathroom stops can experience the woodlands up close with the scenic turnouts and roadside parks. Scenic turnouts are rest area buildings connected to a road that travels a short distance upwards to an elevated lot to park and walk to a lookout area. Roadside parks similarly host restroom facilities, hiking trails and green state maps that are useful in patches with no cell service, but don’t boast an aerial view. Tom has utilized these rest areas over 18 times on the round treks to school, at least once every trip.
“My favorite is Cut River bridge on US 2. Great hike, the bridge is pretty, and there’s a river at the bottom and a way to walk to [Lake Michigan].”
The idea for this auto tourism was first inspired by the same area Tom and thousands of others drive through every semester. University of Michigan graduate Herbert F. Larson, known as Herb, created the first roadside park in 1918. At the same time he returned home to Iron Country after graduation, woodlands were being harvested in the area. Growing up in the rich nature of the UP gave him an appreciation of the environment and social history of UP’s land. His first land acquisition was dedicated to be a forest memorial for the hardwood trees deserting the area. Then, after a frustrating encounter in Wisconsin where he was barred from having a cookout in public, he was inspired to build the first roadside park. Designated areas with grills and picnic tables became a trend across the United States and eventually worldwide to Canada, Australia and Europe.
KaseyDeschler.com 