Construction is shown at the corner of Lakeshore Boulevard and Hawley Street in Marquette. The stretch between Pine and Wright streets is expected to be open to traffic by the end of this month, while the remainder of the road will be closed until the first phase of the project is completed in October. (Journal photo by Jackie Jahfetson)

MARQUETTE — Phase one of the Lakeshore Boulevard relocation project in Marquette — which involves elevating the road several feet and bringing it up to 300 feet inland — is moving forward.

Work on the stretch of Lakeshore Boulevard between Pine and Wright streets was completed July 17 and city officials anticipate that section of the road will soon be open to traffic.

A roundabout at the intersection of Wright Street and Lakeshore Boulevard has been completed apart from signage, lighting, pavement markings and plantings in the center island, Marquette Chief Financial Officer Gary Simpson said.

With the roadway, multiuse path and roundabout construction from Pine to Wright streets now largely completed, the electrical, sign and line painting work are expected to be finished in the coming days.

City officials said they anticipate Lakeshore Boulevard and the multiuse path will be open from Pine to Wright street sat the end of the month.

Construction on the stretch of Lakeshore Boulevard between Wright and Hawley streets is also coming along well, with most of the utility work completed, Simpson said.

However, Lakeshore Boulevard between Hawley and Wright streets will remain closed to traffic until the remainder of the project is finished, which officials expect to be completed by Oct. 3.

Beyond the work on the surface of the road, the project involves placement of a water main, sanitary sewer main and storm sewer main with all appurtenances.

The road relocation has been long awaited due to the erosion damage and ensuing road closure after intense fall storms.

“Lakeshore Boulevard and the multiuse path were damaged beyond repair last fall between Pine (Street) and Hawley Street. The roadway and multiuse path are important to the community for recreation and access to Presque Isle Park,” Simpson said. “This project also extends utilities into the (Cliffs-Dow) site, which will help with future economic development.”

One of the challenges workers and city officials have faced during the relocation process was the removal of various concrete underground structures from the former Cliffs-Dow site to permit building the road and placing utilities, Simpson said.

The Lakeshore Boulevard project is set to occur in two phases, with an estimated total cost of $12 million.

The Marquette City Commission approved a total of $3.275 million for the first phase of the project, including contingencies. However, the cost of the second phase still remains to be determined and funding will come from various possible grant sources, Simpson said.

For the first phase of the project, the Marquette City Commission approved a contract with Smith Construction on April 13 for just over $2.27 million with a 10% contingency, he said.

The commission also approved $773,000 for the construction of the multiuse pathway and parking areas, contingent upon the city receiving a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

“Since then, the city has received the FEMA grant and the multiuse path and parking areas were added to the project with a contract modification. The projected total cost of the project will be under the combined amounts,” Simpson said. “… Everything appears to be progressing well as far as grant approvals.”

The current estimated cost of the first phase is about $3 million. The expected overall project cost is $12 million, with the city’s share anticipated to be $3 million to $4 million, Simpson said.

As the first phase of the project progresses, the city is continuing to work with the Superior Watershed Partnership and a consulting group to develop plans for the second phase of the project, which involves “coastal restoration and armoring of the shoreline east of the relocated roadway,” Simpson said.

“Any money that we do not spend on the road, the bike path or the parking lots will then go to the shoreline restoration, which is going to include harboring, dune creation, dune grass, native planting and those kinds of things as well as some wave attenuation,” Marquette City Manager Mike Angeli said in a previous Mining Journal article. “… We also plan on creating a public access area to the northern end of this property as well.”

The timeline for the second phase is still to be determined.

While it’s been a long trek to get to this point, city officials emphasized the road’s importance to the community, evidenced by the public input that has been involved in developing project plans for Lakeshore Boulevard restoration over the years.

“The project is important to the community because of the long-standing history of the roadway and the community consensus to do this project through a multiyear planning process that included design presentations and discussions at many public forums over the span of several years,” Marquette Director of Community Development Dennis Stachewicz said.

Jackie Jahfetson can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 248. Her email address is jjahfetson@miningjournal.net.