Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By RICHARD JENKINS
Bessemer — While the Gogebic County Road Commission had already learned it would be receiving financial assistance in repairing the storm damage to Lake Road, it was also informed July 28 that it would be getting a $1 million grant to help repair local roads and culverts around Little Girl’s Point damaged during the July 11, 2016 storm.
“We are pretty ecstatic here at the road commission, because we have never received a special grant like this,” road commission engineering manager Darren Pionk said. “Unfortunately, it took a flooding event to get the funding, but this is definitely going to help curtail the cost to rebuild that area due to the storm.
“This is big news. This is really big news for this community, as well as the road commission. I don’t know where we would be without getting this grant money.”
The special legislative grant through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation office will go toward the replacement of 14 culverts around Little Girl’s Point, including some on Brace and Powers roads, as well as Partridge and Aspen lanes, and other locations in the area.
Federal rules prevented Gogebic County from being included in Wisconsin’s damage totals after the storm, meaning the county needed to hit the approximately $13 million minimum threshold by itself to qualify for federal aid.
“We didn’t have that much damage, but we still had substantial damage,” Pionk said.
Due to not meeting the minimum requirements, the county was able to get assistance through the Federal Highway Administration, but only for certain repairs.
“With the flooding event back in July 2016, we did receive funding through the emergency relief program, but that was only for culverts damaged that were (under) federal aid-eligible roads — which is Lake Road itself,” Pionk said. “We had so much damage on the local road system, and (didn’t have) any other funding resources available.”
Starting in November, Pionk said road commission officials reached out to the area’s representatives — first State Sen. Tom Casperson, R-Escanaba, and later State Rep. Scott Dianda, D-Calumet — to discuss ways the county could get assistance to ensure it wouldn’t put the county “years, if not decades, behind” on planned maintenance to other county roads.
Pionk said he and other commission representatives also made several trips to Lansing to present the county’s case to key figures in the legislature and governor’s office.
With the replacement of 14 culverts — including several on Lake Road that Pionk said weren’t covered by federal funds — expected to cost just under $1 million, Pionk said the county had originally requested $2 million. This amount would have covered additional repairs that will still need to be done, as well as help with the county’s portion of the State Infrastructure Bank loan being used to fund the Lake Road repairs until federal money arrives.
Without finding another source of extra funds, Pionk said the commission will be paying off the SIB loan for the next 10 years.
He said the commission and area’s representatives continue to explore avenues for additional funding, but there are no obvious sources of extra revenue at this time.
While the end of the construction season is approaching, Pionk said work will begin immediately to begin prepping the culvert sites so as many repairs as possible can be completed before winter.
“(On) Aspen Lane, we will be clearing trees out this weekend,” he said. “... We anticipate trying to tackle as many of these stream crossings as possible this year until the weather changes and we have to get into the mode for snowplowing operations. Whatever we have left, we will plan and schedule for next year’s construction season.”
The commission has until the end of summer 2018 to utilize the funding.
The work will be done by both road commission employees and contracted companies, according to Pionk.
The funding, both the Lake Road funding and the latest grant, has been key in allowing the road commission to continue the other projects it had planned prior to the storm.
“This year we were able to program a majority of the projects we put on hold last year,” Pionk said, referencing projects in Watersmeet, Marenisco, Bessemer and Ironwood townships.
The commission has also re-graveled almost 10 miles of roads in the county because of the additional funding.
“We’re trying to spread out our maintenance throughout the county, to all the townships,” Pionk said. “We’ve been trying to focus on making sure we aren’t leaving any of the other townships behind and making sure our presence is known. I think maintenance on road systems, bridges and culverts is a never-ending process, and we are striving here to improve our maintenance operation and provide a better service to the community.”
