Saturday, April 25, 2015

Roadside parks opening soon

Most U.P. roadside parks opening Monday
 
Fast Facts:
- The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) owns and maintains 32 roadside parks in the Upper Peninsula.
- U.P. roadside parks usually open in mid- to late April each year.
- Opening of some U.P. roadside parks will be delayed this year due to late spring snow, cold weather and wet conditions.
 
April 24, 2015 -- Most roadside parks operated by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) in the Upper Peninsula will open April 27. The nine parks located in Luce, Alger, Chippewa and Schoolcraft counties will remain closed until remaining snow melts, facilities thaw and water recedes. Those parks are tentatively set to open May 1.
             "We try to reopen roadside parks as early in the spring as possible," said MDOT Superior Region Transportation Maintenance Coordinator Charlie Heidt. "This year, due to lingering winter conditions, we have decided to hold off on opening some of the parks until a little later."
           MDOT maintains 32 roadside parks in the U.P. They usually close in late October and reopen in mid- to late April.
             For a map and complete list of MDOT roadside parks, visit www.michigan.gov/mdot/0,1607,7-151-9622_11033_52552---,00.html.