Leader photo/ALY GIBSON Drivers will experience slower travel on M-51 for the coming weeks as the Michigan Department of Transportation works to resurface the street and upgrade sidewalk ramps.

Residents and those just passing through will notice a lot of orange near the intersection of M-51 and M-62 in Dowagiac as resurfacing and sidewalk ramp upgrades get under way.

Michigan Department of Transportation crews began lining the street, also considered North Front Street, with orange barrels and cones Thursday morning. By afternoon, guides and directions were spray-painted on adjacent sidewalks and the street, marking where construction will begin. The construction will extend as far as Pizza Hut. According to a representative from MDOT, the project workers will resurface the road and make upgrades to surrounding sidewalk ramps, which have been targeted for improvement in Dowagiac for months.

“It is an MDOT project, but we’re certainly glad it’s happening,” Kevin Anderson, Dowagiac’s city manager, said. “We previously made improvements to the water and sewer systems in that area so they could get in there and repair the road and sidewalk ramps.”

Other road improvements in Dowagiac have included Riverside Drive, Prairie Ronde and Paul and Robinson streets.

Drivers can expect traffic to be limited to one lane during construction. MDOT also advises that construction workers may be directing traffic from either direction while work is being completed.

The project is expected to be finished by November before the onset of inclement weather.