M-72 is a major east-west roadway connecting East Grand Traverse Bay to M-75, at the middle of Michigan. This state trunk-line is center to one of the strongest growing commercial areas in Acme Township, with the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa, Village at Grand Traverse and Turtle Creek Casino and Hotel positioned along it.
GTEC was hired to provide construction management services to reconstruct one mile of M-72 and one crossing at Lautner Road. It included installing a 144’ pedestrian tunnel under M-72, rebuilding the roadway as a boulevard and adding two roundabouts along the way. Agencies/municipalities that were involved included the Michigan Department of Transportation, Grand Traverse County Road Commission, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Grand Traverse of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. In addition, four large utilities had to be relocated due to the widening of the roadway north and south, as well as right-of-way acquisitions completed by the project’s end. The $6.2M project was underway by April of 2015 and substantially complete by October of 2015.