M-35 exiting M-553 and onto North Southgate Drive is pictured. Repairs to North Southgate Drive and Iron Street will be in the first stage of the upcoming Michigan Department of Transportation project in Forsyth Township that begins in May, officials said. (Journal photo by Dreyma Beronja)

GWINN — Gwinn residents were invited to the Michigan Department of Transportation and Forsyth Township presentation on Tuesday for the $4.4 million road construction project that will begin in May.

The project will improve poor road conditions as well as replace water mains and sanitary sewers. Construction will be done by A. Lindberg & Sons Inc., with funding coming from MDOT, Forsyth Township and the Marquette County Road Commission.

“Road conditions are getting to a condition where they are in need of serious improvements and Forsyth Township wanted to fix water main and sewer replacements as well,” MDOT construction engineer Al Anderson said. “It really works well together to make sure all that stuff happens.”

Anderson said the project will rebuild roads with an asphalt surface and build curbs on the side of the roads to replace ditches while having sidewalks extended.

The project will be completed in five stages:

Stage 1

≤ Detour improvements: May 1-15

≤ Iron Street improvements: late May

Stages 2 and 3

≤ From Escanaba River east to Pearce Street: mid-May to late August

Stages 4 and 5

≤ From Pearce Street east to east of Smith Street: late August to late October

The project’s detour will be down North Southgate Drive and along M-553. Road improvements will be done down North Southgate Drive, including crushing and shaping of the route.

“This (the detour) will be put in place for most of the project, so early June until the end of October,” Anderson said. “There will be a couple of times the road will be closed completely so everyone will have to take the detour.”

Anderson also said road closures during the second and third stages of the project will not happen until after school is let out for the summer.

When construction is taking place in the latter stages of the project, Anderson said the road will be completely closed a couple of times during the project. Residents will be required to use the detour route at those times.

A. Lindberg & Sons Inc. project manager Dan Saari said the company is looking forward to a safe construction project.

“That’s going to be our primary concern — making sure traffic and residents are able to navigate our site safely and from there, work on utilities, roads and new sidewalks,” Saari said. “It should be a good project.”

Water shutoffs will be coordinated with Forsyth Township, and business owners will be notified when those shutoff dates will happen. Sample tests to the water will be done as well to make sure the water is clean.

After Tuesday’s presentation, MDOT and Forsyth Township took public comments. Several residents addressed safety concerns for when construction begins and drivers try to find alternative routes in town that are not the designated detour routes.

One resident said she was concerned about vehicles coming down Alley 7 behind Happy Hour Bar and potentially hitting someone. She said several people walk down the alley to get to the stores and is afraid of someone getting hit.

Although the alley cannot be blocked off, according to Anderson, the concern will be brought to Forsyth Township to look into in more detail.

Gwinn resident Loren Halsey said he is concerned over people using Sands Street as a way to get into town more quickly and potentially hitting a child in the area.

“We have a problem of people using that as a shortcut and flying down that street an excess of 45 miles per hour,” Halsey said. “My children, my neighbor’s children and the neighbors up the street don’t allow our children to play in the front yard unsupervised because of the traffic.”

Halsey said he would like to see increased police activity in the area to enforce the speed limit. The concern will also be brought to Forsyth Township to look into in more detail.

For more information on the project, contact MDOT communications representative Dan Weingarten at weingartend@michigan.gov.

Dreyma Beronja can be reached at 906-228-2500 ext. 248. Their email address is dberonj@miningjournal.net.