SAULT STE. MARIE — As downtown construction begins to wrap up, the city is preparing for more major projects to improve local infrastructure in the future.
The Easterday Avenue truck route reconstruction and Carbide Dock port reconstruction projects were recently awarded to Bacco Construction Company and Roen Salvage Company, respectively. Both projects will be taking place and completed in the summer of 2024.
Easterday Avenue will remain open during the winter, and the dock will only need surface restoration at that point in the construction season.
Other projects are also being worked on, but city officials said they have not yet been bid out to any construction companies.
The first project in planning is construction on Meridian Street from West Easterday Avenue to 8th Avenue. The half-mile stretch needs to be reconstructed for a sewer replacement.
The work will also include drainage and shoulder work.
The project is funded through the Michigan Department of Transportation’s Small Urban Program. The project is being rebid through MDOT later this fall for 2024 construction. The project is estimated at $2.5 million.
The second project in planning is to fix overflow of the Water Street combined sewer, which is part of an ongoing project to remove combined sewer overflow sites across the city. This project is done in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps under their 219 funding. This project would close out one of the three last remaining overflows.
This would eliminate site seven at the Water and Bingham intersection. The project includes construction on the Ashmun Street/Maple Street sanitary sewer lift station and reconstruction on the sanitary sewer overflow structure in the intersection of Bingham Avenue and Water Street to eliminate an 8-inch overflow connector between sanitary and storm sewer, which outfalls through St. Marys Falls Park at the Bingham Avenue and Water Street intersection, and rehabilitate the storm drainage out fall piping within St. Marys Falls Park.
The total estimate of the project is still being determined, but is estimated at around $1.2 million. Construction is planned between 2024 and 2025.
The third project is the Canal Trail project from Ashmun to Johnston Street.
This project has been in the works for several years. Phase 2 of the project was originally slated for 2022 but was delayed due to emergency utility work on the canal required by Cloverland. The project intends to add a non-motorized trail through the waterfront canal near Cloverland.
MDOT awarded the contract to Payne & Dolan, and they have agreed to an extension of time until August 2023. Further updates will come when the Cloverland work has been completed, and the project can continue. The total cost for the project in 2022 before the delay was $289,000.
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The Safe Routes to School project has also been in planning for several months, and will improve pedestrian safety in the areas of local elementary schools in Sault Ste. Marie.
The project includes Lincoln, Washington, and Sault Area Middle School and will continue a previous Safe Routes to School project at Bahweting schools.
The project has an estimated cost of $820,000 and is planned for sometime in 2024.
Partners in the project include the Michigan Department of Transportation, Michigan State University, Michigan Fitness Foundation, Sault Area Schools, Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians, and the city.
MDOT is continuing their projects this year, including the downtown repaving on Ashmun Street, from the bridge to Portage Avenue, and the M-129 repaving of 18th Avenue to 10 Mile Road. The city will be replacing water main from 18th Avenue to 3 Mile Road.
While the city is not the lead agency on these projects, they are partnering with MDOT to address utility and other issues while they are working in these areas. These projects will be completed this construction season.
For more detailed information about any upcoming projects or to see bid opportunities, visit the Sault city website.
— Contact Brendan Wiesner: [email protected]