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Upper Peninsula Ski Jump gets $20-Million for upgrades

A ski jump in the western Upper Peninsula is getting 20 million dollars for upgrades.

It’s part of the nearly five-billion-dollar infrastructure bill Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed on Wednesday.

From the top of the Copper Peak ski jump, you can see Lake Superior, The Porcupine Mountains, and Wisconsin.

The jump itself is structurally sound, but it needs repairs and hasn’t seen a competition since 1994.

Improvements include, reshaping the hill, installing a giant wind screen, and putting in a frozen track for use in the summer.

Republican Senator Wayne Schmidt of Traverse City sponsored the bill.

He says this project will support a struggling economy in the U.P.

“For the most part it’s been a little tougher for the Upper Peninsula. So, this is a huge shot in the arm for a world class project that brings world attention.”

The first competition is planned for the fall of 2024.