Road closure to improve conditions in local water body

DICKONSON COUNTY– The Michigan Department of Natural Resources announced today a 1.6-mile section of O’Neil Lake Road will be closed beginning Tuesday, Sept. 6 for a culvert replacement project.

According to the DNR O’Neil Lake Road will be closed from Floodwood Road to the Big Wheel Road. An alternate access route has been designated during the road closure, which is expected to remain in effect for a week to 10 days. A map shows the temporary road closure and traffic reroute to O’Neil Lake in northern Dickinson County.

“We appreciate the patience of the public while we undertake this important project to improve aquatic habitat,” said John Pepin, DNR deputy public information officer.

Sixty-day Creek is the body of water being improved, which is a tributary to Schwartz Creek, a high-quality trout stream.

“The purpose of this project is to replace an undersized culvert with a larger one to increase hydraulic capacity, improve conditions for transport of materials like wood and sediment, and provide uninhibited migration for fish and other aquatic organisms,” said Darren Kramer, northern Lake Michigan unit manager with the DNR in Escanaba.

Part of the funding for the project came from the DNR’s Aquatic Habitat Grant program.

The culvert replacement effort is being led by Michigan Trout Unlimited, including the local Fred Warra chapter of Trout Unlimited, and the Dickinson County Road Commission.

O’Neil Lake traffic will be rerouted east along Floodwood Road to Flat Rock Road in Marquette County. At this junction, traffic will turn right and continue southeast for 4.4 miles to the intersection of Schwartz Creek and McGregor Creek roads.

From here, rerouted traffic will turn right onto McGregor Creek Road and travel 1.4 miles to a right turn onto O’Neil Lake Road. The lake is located a short distance away.