By Carol Stiffler
Roadwork may begin as early as this week in Portage Township if road restrictions are lifted in time, said Don Reed, township supervisor. This work, which encompasses slightly more than 19 miles of roadway, is possible after Portage Township residents passed the road bond in November 2021.
Bacco Construction Company of Iron Mountain, the winning bidder on the work, will start on Davis, Portage, Straw, and Lake streets to get the in-town work out of the way first. Those four streets will have their existing asphalt ground and reshaped, Reed said.
The gravel roads, which have been previously prepped for asphalt, will be covered with hard top for the first time. Right after that, the Mackinac County Road Commission will lay down shoulder gravel.
Expectations are that the work will be completed by the third week of June. In the meantime, Reed asks drivers to be patient.
“They’re going to be in and out of here as soon as they possibly can,” Reed said. “We’re going to have some really nice asphalt.”
Reed said the paving work along with the seal coating to ensure its longevity, is one of the biggest projects the Mackinac County Road Commission has experienced in a long time.
“They’re going to be there through the whole project making sure everything is done correctly, and I’ll be around making sure we get our money’s worth,” Reed said.
In conjunction with the street work, Superior Paving of Marquette is planning to be in town to put in private drives upon request. They are expected to use some of the asphalt brought in by Bacco on the drives. Any resident who wants a quote for paving of a private drive should call Superior Paving at (906) 226-1052.
Reed requests anyone with a question to call him directly: (906) 287-0259.
“I’ll give them the straight scoop,” he said. “If I don’t have an answer, I’ll find an answer.”
