Centuries-Old Road Found During Sewer Construction in Michigan

GRAND HAVEN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — Construction crews in western Michigan have uncovered a centuries-old road beneath a roadbed.

Grand Haven Township Manager Bill Cargo says that an approximately 50-foot section of “corduroy road” was discovered Monday as crews installed a storm sewer during a reconstruction project.

Cargo says a corduroy road, or “log road,” is made by placing logs perpendicular to the direction of the route of low or swampy areas. The roads were built in the 1800s to help horse-drawn wagons and buggies get through muddy or soggy areas.

Community Development Director Stacey Fedewa says the Tri-Cities Historical Museum in Grand Haven is planning to use some of the historic roadway for a future exhibit.

Cargo says the construction that includes an extension of a sanitary sewer to the north remains on schedule.