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That's the word to date on US-131 construction. Crews have been busy since late May on the major $8.5 million road project that extends north from M72/ County Road 612 in Kalkaska to Elder Road, just south of Mancelona.

Mother Nature has been very accommodating to the construction workers Ð and that's a real bonus, according to the project's head construction engineer, Judy Browning.

"The weather has been almost overly cooperative," the Michigan Department of Transportation engineer said about the dry, warm conditions that have been the norm during the month of June. "It makes you kind of nervous about what kind of weather we might expect later in the fall Ð this is Michigan, after all."

For the time being, however, no one is complaining.

Work crews, travelers, business owners Ð and area residents in general Ð are all eager to see construction come to an end. November remains as the target date for completion of the total 11.29-mile project.

Crews are continuing to concentrate on Phase one of the project that includes US- 131 north from M-72/CR 621 to Twin Lake Road. As of last week, nearly all the old concrete pavement in that stretch had been removed.

"The work is being done in segments within the construction zone," said Rise Rasch, MDOT manager for the Traverse City Transportation Service Center that is overseeing the project. "First, crews are grinding off the old asphalt on top of the concrete, then removing the concrete, grading the underlying gravel and paving back with two layers of new asphalt pavement.

"We're anticipating that by the end of the first week in July, most of the concrete will be removed and paving will continue, weather permitting." Once that is completed, a third layer of asphalt will be placed Road to Elder Road.

As has been the case during Phase one, County Road 571 will continue be used as the north-south roadway throughout Phase two, with Elder Road as the crossover, east-west link to US-131.

"Elder Road in that area had a gravel surface; that has been paved," Browning said about improvements to the local roads that's part of the overall construction package. "In addition, 571 north from Twin Lake Road has been cold-milled and resurfaced."

Improvements to the on the entire roadway and other work items will be wrapped up before the first section of US-131 will be fully reopened to through traffic.

The road will remain open on a flagged basis, as is currently the case, during the asphalting process.

While work on Phase one concludes, improvements are continuing on roads in neighboring Antrim County that will be used as a detour route during Phase two of construction. Phase 2 focuses on US-131 north from Twin Lake local roads in both Kalkaska and Antrim counties are being made to better accommodate the increased volume of traffic along the detour routes during the construction process.

While a definite timeline for the completion of Phase one and start of Phase two has not been established, MDOT officials remain optimistic that both will take place before the end of July.

"We just have to take things as they come, and hope the weather continues to hold," Browning said. "So far, things have been going pretty smoothly."