DELTA COUNTY — The reopening of North Deadhorse Road in Delta County has been postponed due to unforeseen circumstances affecting the contractor’s completion timeline. The road will now remain closed through Monday, Aug. 25, and will reopen for traffic Tuesday, Aug. 26.

The closure, which began July 1, is necessary to replace two culverts on Deadhorse Creek. The project site is located within the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ Escanaba Forest Management Unit (T43N R22W Section 6 SWNE). During construction, there is no reroute around the project area.

Deadhorse Creek is a designated trout stream, but the existing culvert is too small and perched, preventing fish passage and causing the road to wash out during periods of high water. The old culvert will be replaced with a new aluminum box culvert to improve fish movement and reduce future washouts.

North Deadhorse Road is a through-road providing critical access to thousands of acres of state-managed land used for hunting and other recreation activities and timber operations.

Access to the north side of the closure is available via Diffin Road off U.S. 41 in Alger County. The south side can be reached via M-35 and North Rock 38th Road in Delta County. There will be construction equipment and vehicles operating in the area, and motorists should use caution when traveling nearby.