By Robert Tomlinson
News Director
THREE RIVERS — Three Rivers city commissioners took a key step Tuesday in preparing for two major local road projects.
Commissioners approved design engineering services for upcoming road construction projects on South Constantine Street and 11th Avenue during their regular city commission meeting. The total cost of the services combined for both projects is $110,400, and will be done by Livonia-based engineering firm OHM Advisors.
Funding for both projects overall comes out of the city’s Municipal Streets Fund, where both projects were budgeted for the current fiscal year.
The city plans on a full reconstruction of South Constantine Street from Broadway Street to the south city limits during Fiscal Year 2025, as well as a construction project on 11th Avenue between Jefferson Street and Washington Street.
Work on Constantine Street will include removing the current road and building a whole new road, putting in sidewalks on one side of the street, along with new storm sewer and storm sewer structures, drive entrances, sidewalk ramps and more from Broadway to south of the city limits. According to the proposal document from OHM, the current intent of the proposed design for the project is to connect to the existing storm sewer located at the intersection of Constantine Street and Wolf Road.
For the 11th Avenue project, it will also be planned to be a full reconstruct of the road, with much the same work to be done as the Constantine Street project: removing the existing asphalt surface, aggregate base removal, placement of new storm sewer, storm sewer structures, grading of the existing sub-grade, installation of aggregate base, concrete sidewalks on one side of street, drive entrances, sidewalk ramps, and resurfacing the street with hot mix asphalt.
Both the OHM document and Department of Public Services Director Amy Roth mentioned that the city has applied for MDOT Category B funds for this project. The document states that if the city gets these funds, the streets will also get new curbs and gutters added to the project. However, the city is likely not expected to hear back about if they’re selected until sometime this fall.
Roth said Tuesday the city has set aside money to fully fund both projects, regardless of if they receive the grant or not.
“If we were awarded the grant, then the money the grant gave us, that money would then go back into fund balance,” Roth said. “The grant would be a fantastic boost for funding, but we are not required to get the grant to move forward with the project.”
Mayor Tom Lowry said overall, this is the “first step in a bigger job.”
In other business…
- Commissioners approved a purchase order of $27,700 with Fishbeck for the second phase of an environmental study at the proposed site of a new amphitheater in the city east of the east parking lot near downtown Three Rivers.
- Commissioners approved a proposal from Fleis and Vandenbrink for $18,000 for design engineering for Fiscal Year 2025 sewer re-lining.
Robert Tomlinson can be reached at 279-7488 or robert@wilcoxnewspapers.com.
