Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Acting Clerk Lynn Coron, Trustee Steve Boyd and Supervisor Alan Baron take part in deliberations during Monday's meeting of the Ironwood Township Board of Trustees.
IRONWOOD TOWNSHIP -- The township board of trustees approved a four year plan to improve several of the most deteriorated roads in the township at Monday's meeting.
The plan would have the township use funds generated from the township's millage to participate in the Gogebic County Road Commission's match program, which allows the township to receive 40 percent of the projects funding from the commission.
According to a letter from Darren Pionk, an engineer with the road commission, taking advantage of the program would allow the township to use the estimated $80,000 generated by the millage to complete approximately $133,000 in repairs.
The township board noted that the plan was calculated based on the township only contributing the funds generated by the millage and should additional funds become available, the scope of the project could change.
"I would (support the motion) ... with the idea that if new money comes in, from lumber or something else unexpected, we could accelerate this process," said Trustee Steve Boyd in support of the motion approving the plan.
With the board in agreement that an additional contribution could accelerate or expand the project, the board's motion accepted the construction schedule recommended by Pionk. This project would begin in 2015 and 2016 with repairs to Vanderhagen Road, from the "S-curves" and continuing north. Pionk's letter describes this portion of road as "a larger generator of traffic and has a PASER rating of two (very poor condition)." The available funds would allow for about 0.7 miles of road to be improved, which would run roughly 0.2 miles past Slade Road according to the letter.
The letter acknowledges that the first 0.4 miles from Sunnyside Road would be skipped but argued that condition of the road north of the S-curve meant it should be prioritized. It also stated that future funding may become available for the skipped portion.
The letter's timeline then calls for construction on Vanderhagen Road to continue in 2016, bringing the improved segment of road an approximate 0.5 miles north to Sunset Road.
The timeline concludes with work on Section 12 Road from U.S. 2 to Sunset Road. This construction would take place over two years, finishing in 2018.
Support for the motion accepting the plan was unanimous.
Township Clerk Gayla Salmi and Treasurer Jyl Olson-DeRosso were not present at the meeting.
