Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
THE BOAT docks at Black River Harbor on Lake Superior are being replaced. The Ottawa National Forest has awarded a contract to Snow Country Contracting, of Ironwood, for phase one of the work. The harbor is shown in warmer climes in a TripAdvisor photo.
BLACK RIVER HARBOR - Ottawa National Forest Bessemer District Ranger Tony Holland said Wednesday work will begin on the first phase of the Black River Harbor dock replacement project.
Access to the docks and boat launch at Black River Harbor will be closed until further notice to allow for the construction work.
Once construction work is completed, access to the boat launch and docks will be reopened.
The lower parking lot and suspension bridge will remain open for day use.
Snow Country Contracting, of Ironwood, has been awarded the contract for the first phase of dock replacement.
"We will be closing the boat launch and docks during construction due to safety concerns and to allow for the work to proceed uninterrupted," Holland said.
"During construction, which includes blasting, it will be necessary to close the lower parking lot and suspension bridge and to limit access to the entire area," Holland said. "If it is necessary to close the area completely, we will notify the public in advance. We encourage everyone to contact our office at 906-932-1330 prior to going to the harbor for the current status (of the project.)"
Closures of the entire area are not expected to extend beyond a week at a time, he said.
"Given the status of the docks and boat launch area for the immediate future, we will not be accepting reservations for seasonal slips in 2018. When the docks are reopened, we will determine if there is still a need for reservations, given the season. At this time, we have been taking names of those individuals who have expressed interest in reservations and will contact them with current information," Holland added.
Holland said the first phase will be completed as soon as possible, so the area can be reopened.
"We appreciate the public's understanding while we complete improvements to this well-loved recreation area," he said, indicating updates and progress reports will be provided throughout the construction period.
