Upgrades planned for road near Escanaba’s NewPage paper mill

A day after a bill to raise Michigan’s gas taxes to help improve the state’s roads failed to pass in the State Senate, an Upper Peninsula township is getting some much needed help from the Michigan Department of Transportation for one of its roads.

Delta County’s Wells Township will receive approximately $250,000 to make improvements to Mead Road (County Road 59). State funds will pay for about $200,000 in improvements and the Delta County Road Commission is funding the remainder.

Mead Road is currently an all-season route that is deteriorating, and has inadequate shoulders and poor drainage.

Logging trucks accessing Escanaba’s NewPage paper mill currently use Mead Road to make deliveries. Omya, a company that produces goods to manufacture paper, will also start utilizing the road this summer.