Heritage trail gets funding
By SAM EGGLESTON Journal Ishpeming BureauNEGAUNEE — Thanks to a grant from the Michigan Department of Transportation, work to construct a two-mile portion of the new Iron Ore Heritage Trail will begin this summer in Negaunee.
The two-mile section, which will stretch from the Negaunee Senior Center and west to the Brownstone area of Ishpeming, will be a non-motorized path and will cost approximately $500,000 to complete.
“We were awarded a grant in the amount of $400,120 for the project,” said Negaunee mayor Kimme Peterson. “Negaunee is going to be used as the prototype for other communities to look at. There has been a lot of work done to get this project under way and with the help of this MDOT grant, we can get started.”
According to Peterson, the construction of the path will begin in June and is expected to be completed by early August.
The remaining $100,000 for the project is coming from matching funds from the city of Negaunee.
“I am very, very pleased that this grant came through,” said mayor pro tem Paul Gravedoni. “There has been a lot of sweat equity put into this project by the city of Negaunee. Now, it’s going to be a showcase for the rest of the system.”
The proposed completed trail, which is being constructed by several communities throughout the area, is expected to run from Chocolay Township through Marquette, Negaunee and Ishpeming and west to Republic.
The Michigan Department of Transportation also announced a $52,000 grant toward a project being done by the Marquette Area Transit Authority to purchase and install 30 bike racks on its fleet of buses. The project, which will cost a total of $65,000 with Marq-Tran paying for $13,000, will provide a way for bicycle commuters to transport their bikes while riding on the public transports.
