How far will they go? Foster seeks deeper road project for Ludington Avenue, Lakeshore Drive

Ludington City Manager Mitch Foster said the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) plans to repave Ludington Avenue and Lakeshore Drive in 2020, but he is recommending a complete reconstruction to solve the underlying road issues.

Foster said MDOT recently unexpectedly informed the city it will repave Ludington Avenue from James Street to Lakeshore Drive and resurface Lakeshore Drive from Ludington to Tinkham avenues. The project would use the method called mill-and-fill, which involves removing the surface layers of the lanes and replacing them with new asphalt layers.

That project would likely take two or three months to complete, although it is unknown when in 2020 MDOT hopes to start, Foster said, adding that it would be paid for by state funds and that MDOT would decide how to reroute traffic.

Foster said the mill-and-fill improvements would only last about five to seven years before potholes, sinking and other problems return, and that he prefers a longer-lasting solution.

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