HOUGHTON – This summer’s water, sewer and road project on Lakeshore Drive should be underway in May, an engineer on the project said Wednesday. 

Chris Holmes of U.P. Engineers & Architects gave a rundown of the project to the Houghton City Council

The work will span the Bridge Street right-of-way to the east end of Shelden Avenue. 

“Right now you don’t have loops down there, so the water lines will loop,” he said. “That’ll help you out tremendously with your water system.”

Sewer lines and storm sewer will be replaced; above ground, the asphalt will be replaced and sidewalks will be widened. 

Columns holding up the parking deck will be wrapped in concrete with a two-foot diameter around each side. 

Sewer, water and sidewalks will also be replaced on portions of Quincy and Huron streets and sewer on Isle Royale streets.

Between Huron and isle Royale streets, they will add some sidewalk on the north side of the road, replace some catch basins on the south side, and redo the intersection on Isle Royale Street. 

Lights will be replaced between Huron and Isle Royale streets, which will be in the same style as newer ones on Lakeshore Drive, said City Manager Eric Waara.

The Department of Environmental Quality’s sewer permit for the work was approved Monday, Holmes said, which will complete the permitting process.

The project should go out for bids next week, and are hoped to be complete by April. The goal is to finish the project by the end of August, Holmes said. 

Utility companies with lines in the area are also coordinating with UPEA and the city to move their lines underground during the project, Holmes said. There will also be several meetings between the contractor and the businesses on Lakeshore. 

“We know that access is going to be an issue down there, and we need to keep things open,” Holmes said.