ISHPEMING, Mich. – The City of Ishpeming today announced construction is scheduled to begin on April 22, 2024 on a more than $16 million sewer infrastructure project. The Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) project construction will begin near the Marquette County Road Commission at the corner of North Second Avenue and Ash Street. Work will proceed to Ash Street, Hickory Street and Hemlock Street. Construction in these areas is anticipated to last 3-4 weeks.
Residents should expect disruptions to traffic patterns during construction activities. Access to homes and businesses will be maintained throughout construction.
The CWSRF project, first announced in September 2023, will include a combination of several components of the City Sanitary Sewer Infrastructure including sewer main replacement, installation of a redundant main and necessary upgrades to lift stations to provide a long-term solution to its aging infrastructure.
As work progresses, key updates will be provided. While not anticipated to last this long, the funding timeline allows for the total project to be completed no later than December 31, 2026.
“This project will update critical infrastructure which is more than 70 years old. Improvements will address many challenges facing our community,” said Ishpeming City Manager Craig Cugini. “Updating this aged system will provide long-lasting, reliable new systems using the most up-to-date materials and technology. These improvements are expected to reduce unnecessary strain on the treatment plant systems often occurring during high water events.”
The project includes $8.025 million in grant funding through the American Rescue Plan and an $8.025 million municipal bond from EGLE through federal Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) funding.
The full scope of this project includes approximately 25,000 feet of sewer main being replaced or rehabilitated. To mitigate community impact, the City will require that any roads undergoing work are repaved before winter, as well as ensure contractors adhere to the City’s “dig once” policy, allowing any other necessary underground work to be performed parallel to prevent cutting through pavement and dirt multiple times. “Dig once” benefits include long-term cost savings, efficient use of resources and reduced burden on residents near a work site.
This project should make meaningful progress on outstanding infrastructure needs, including:
- -Installation of new PVC pipe via open cut throughout the city
- -Reinforcing existing pipes located in wetlands, the Carp River and other sewers where open cut is impractical
- -Backup generators and pump replacements for all eight lift stations
- -A new, 30-inch diameter Carp River sewer crossing installed via directional drilling that will provide a redundant crossing, which is critical in times of high water and heavy flow
The City has enrolled two companies that are either headquartered or located locally to assist with this undertaking. The contractor for the project is Payne and Dolan, which has an office in Ishpeming, and the engineer is U.P. Engineers and Architects, which is based in Ishpeming.
