Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
DARREN PIONK, right, Gogebic County Road Commission manager-engineer, signs an easement Thursday afternoon with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources for the Ironwood to Bessemer trail, which is part of the Western Gateway Trail. Don Bennetts, commission vice-chair, is at left.
By TOM STANKARD
Bessemer - The Gogebic County Road Commission signed an easement Thursday afternoon with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources for the Ironwood to Bessemer walking-biking trail.
Darren Pionk, commission manager-engineer, said the road commission is sponsoring the Michigan Department of Transportation grant. He said the DNR owns the land on which the trail will stretch.
Pionk said it grants approval to construct a public recreation, non-motorized trail running from Ironwood to Bessemer, part of the Western Gateway Trail.
Paul Anderson, Coleman Engineering Project Manager, said the trail stretching from Ironwood to Bessemer marks phase two of the Gateway Trail.
Phase one was the Ironwood trail that's completed. Eventually, Anderson said phase three will stretch the trail to Sunday Lake in Wakefield.
Pionk said the DNR easement allows the road commission to construct the trail. After the trail is built, he said the road commission takes over and assumes liability for operations and maintenance.
