Garrett Neese/Daily Mining Gazette Boardwalk damaged in the 2018 Father’s Day flood is seen at the Nara Nature Park Saturday.

HOUGHTON — More than two years after the Father’s Day flood, more permanent repairs are being put into place in Houghton.

The city council accepted several bids at last Wednesday’s meeting for projects to fix damaged areas.

Repairs of the boardwalk at the Nara Nature Park will be done by John Coponen Construction for $699,730. Houghton’s share is $174,932, with the Federal Emergency Management Agency covering the additional $524,797.50. 

Initial bidding began a year ago, but was delayed after early bids came in higher than expected, City Manager Eric Waara said. Coponen’s bid came in under cost estimates. 

“It’ll be nice to get that asset back in use,” Waara said. 

Waara also hopes to see the project to repair the bridge over the Pilgrim River go to bid. The work to repair the state-owned bridge had been ready to go to bid this spring before the Department of Natural Resources was forced to delay the project due to COVID-19 financial restructuring. 

“Hopefully that one will get out soon, too, and we can get everything back to normal, because it sure would be nice to go out there and fish for salmon,” Waara said. 

The project should be finished by the end of the year, said Steven Wright, project manager from U.P. Engineers & Architects. 

Houghton awarded the contract for the finishing coat of pavement on Agate Street to Payne & Dolan. The city will pay $18,032.68 of the $90,163.42. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is responsible for the rest. That project will be finished by winter, Waara said. 

Danielson Contracting was awarded a $158,000 contract to repair the Huron Creek leachate collection system. Houghton will cover $31,600 of the cost, with the rest paid for by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. 

Danielson, the sole bidder on the leachate project, already had crews scheduled to be in town for Phase II of the city’s water and sewer project, Waara said. 

The council also approved an amended engineering agreement with $110,000 for UPEA for the culvert at Sharon Avenue and Huron Creek. The concrete structure will replace the temporary culvert installed after the flood. 

That project, which will be done with Michigan Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration, is slated for summer 2021.