Plans to re-route traffic on Second and Third Streets in Ishpeming moves forward

Re-routing traffic on Second and Third Streets in the City of Ishpeming took another step forward.

The City Council unanimously decided to apply for a grant to fund the project at its meeting Wednesday night.

However, the council did not decide on what plan to choose for the re-route.  There are two options, a roundabout which costs about $500,000, and an ‘S’ curve design that costs $50,000 less.

“After looking at the grant application, what we can do–if you (the council) decide to not make a recommendation tonight–we can still submit for this grant application and just submit for the amount for the larger option, which would be option ‘B’, the roundabout in this case.  So that’s still possible,” OHM Engineer Steve Wright said.

While the roundabout option costs more to build, it is seen as a safer option and would slow traffic down.

“The biggest advantage (to the roundabout) is the safety, but it’s totally up to council,” Ishpeming City Manager Mark Slown said.  “I recognize that there are some people who don’t particularly care for roundabouts, but I go with the safety aspect.”

“This option is primarily our recommendation because traffic will have to slow down to get through the roundabout, whereas the ‘S’ curve option is not necessarily the case,” Wright said.

Also on the agenda, the council approved an agreement with the Public Works Union to hire contractors to help with the frozen water line issues, and to apply for a grant to help clean Lake Bancroft.