Traffic Signal Installation Starting Soon at TC State Park

Crews are planned to start installing a new traffic signal soon for a relocated entrance for the Keith J. Charters Traverse City State Park on US-31.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources said work, which will begin in "early March," will require intermittent single-lane closures on US-31. "Additionally, pedestrians should expect temporary sidewalk restrictions," the DNR stated. "The project is anticipated to take two weeks. Digital message boards will be posted one week before construction starts."

Once installed, the traffic signal will operate in flashing mode for up to one month before becoming fully active in late April. The pedestrian crosswalk will remain closed until the signal is fully operational. 

The traffic light is part of a larger $8.5 million project that started last year. The park is closed now and will remain so through the end of the 2026 camping season. The campground will reopen April 1, 2027. The new park entrance, traffic signal, and at-grade pedestrian crosswalk will replace the former pedestrian bridge, which was removed last fall. Work will also entail tearing down the lodge, building new park headquarters, and improving the park’s sanitation pump-out capacity, internal traffic circulation, and customer service areas. The project is being funded through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

The Michigan Department of Transportation is launching an adjacent $1.6 million project this spring. The day-use beach entrance will be moved east to align with the existing traffic signal at the Three Mile Road/US-31 intersection, which will also be updated. Intermittent closures to the day-use area are expected. New utility connections will also be installed this spring as part of the DNR's campground upgrades. Occasional lane closures are expected for that work.