APRIL 30, 2026Milling starts today on Ludington Street from 6th to 9th Street. Crews will be peeling the black top and hauling it away. Tomorrow, they will continue from 9th to 14th Street. Milling will continue Saturday if needed.
Removal of curbs and sidewalks will begin next week from 9th to 11th Street as crews start to work on replacing sanitary laterals. Engineers says they will start with sanitary, then sewer, then water main as they work through the process.
The city says there may also be a water disruption next week. That announcement will be made when the shutoff is determined.
Ludington Street from 6th to 8th Street was added to the closure Thursday. The intersection at Ludington Street and 10th Street intersection was closed earlier. The intersection at 14th Street will remain open.
Lead service line replacements are continuing along the alley behind the buildings south of Ludington Street.
INTERVIEW: Milling starts on Ludington Street, two more blocks closed Businesses do remain open downtown.
The project is not to fix the road but to replace water mains, sewers, sanitary and lead service lines. Last year, the project went from Lake Shore Drive to 6th Street. This year, it is 10 blocks from 6th Street to 16th Street.
Initially, the intersection at 10th Street and Ludington Street will be closed. The intersection at 14th Street will be open. Along with parking on city streets, there are 12 city parking lots in the downtown. Some businesses have rear entrances that can be used. Others will have to be accessed from the front.
There have been questions about sidewalks
The sidewalks from 6th to 10th Streets will be widened so more sidewalk will be replaced there. The brick in sections between 10th and 16th Streets is being replaced with cement. The sanitary lines to buildings on Ludington Street will cause repair in the sidewalks and the lead service line replace for buildings on the north side of Ludington Street will also affect the sidewalk. Buildings on the south side of Ludington Street are having their water service lines moved from the front to the alley. The sidewalk repair can cause businesses the most trouble as we traverse this construction.
Regular informational meetings are held on the first Wednesday of each month concerning construction projects throughout the city. Those meetings are held at 6 p.m. at city hall.
While the primary purpose of the project is to replace aging water, sewer and sanitary infrastructure beneath Ludington Street, the City is also taking the opportunity to implement several street improvements aimed at enhancing the downtown.
When the project is finished, Ludington Street will be a more pedestrian-friendly with an inviting look. A key feature will be the addition of dedicated bike lanes, which will move cyclists off the sidewalks and improve flow for both pedestrians and bicyclists. The curb "bump outs" between 3rd and 10th Streets and a parallel parking layout are designed to create a "calmer" environment to slow traffic and reduce crossing distances for pedestrians. While the layout is changing, the city expects the total number of parking spots to stay roughly the same or even slightly increase due to more efficient use of space. The streetscape design includes new lighting, benches and flowers, wider sidewalks and a smoother surface to drive on.
APRIL 24, 2026Another block of Ludington Street will be closed beginning Monday, April 27. The city of Escanaba says Ludington Street from 8th to 9th Street will be closed for construction work.
Ludington Street from 9th to 14th Street was closed last week. The intersection of Ludington Street and 10th Street remained open but the city says the intersection will be closed. The intersection at 14th Street will remain open.
Lead service line replacements are continuing along the alley behind the buildings south of Ludington Street. Work has reached 11th Street.
Starting early Monday, water distribution crews will be flushing fire hydrants in preparation for water main work. Hydrants will be flushed from 2nd to 12th Street. Flushing should be completed by noon. The water department advises that the water may be discolored or contain debris during flushing.
INTERVIEW: Five blocks of Ludington Street close to prepare for summer construction 
