HANCOCK – During the busiest work on the Portage Lake Lift Bridge, there were plans in place to allow emergency vehicles to get across, and with the construction of Reservation and Quincy streets in Hancock, the needs of emergency vehicles have also been considered.

During the six-month construction period, Hancock Street will be two-way. Jeff Rautiola, Michigan Department of Transportation assistant construction manager, said although there is no shoulder on Hancock Street now, there is a middle left-turn lane, which will provide room for emergency vehicles to move through traffic.

“We feel it will work fine with a left-turn lane,” he said.

The construction of Quincy Street will be done in three sections, and Rautiola said emergency vehicles will be able to access those sections from either end.

Rautiola said there have been numerous discussions between representatives of MDOT and the city of Hancock, including the police and fire departments. During construction, fire suppression will still be possible.

“There has been a dialogue (about) fire hydrants,” he said.

Firefighter Mark Dennis of the Hancock Fire Department said the department is concerned about the construction’s effects on fire fighting, and there have been ongoing discussions about the situation.

“We’re not exactly sure how it’s going to work out,” he said.

If there was a fire on a section of Quincy Street under construction, Dennis said firefighters should be able to get at it. There are also hydrants on Franklin and Hancock streets, which run parallel to Quincy Street.

“We have enough (length) of hoses to reach those hydrants,” he said. “We’d attack from both ends.”

There will be temporary 4-feet-wide wooden sidewalks on each section of street under construction, but Dennis said that shouldn’t present a problem for the firefighters to get to a fire.

The fact that the weather is improving will be beneficial, also, if there is a situation the fire department has to handle during construction, Dennis said.

“It’s always easier in the summertime,” he said.

Gerald Primeau, CEO of Mercy EMS, said although the work on the Portage Lake Lift Bridge is completed, the company will keep a staffed ambulance in Houghton to use during the construction of Quincy Street.

The streets which cross Quincy Street will be open during construction, and Primeau said they will provide access to Quincy Street, if necessary.

“I guess the worst that could be is that we’d have to run half a block from the cross streets,” he said.

He’s had numerous discussions with MDOT representatives about the construction project, Primeau said, but there’s no way to really know what will happen until it happens.

“It’s going to be a challenge to get the job done,” he said.

Wayne Butler, Hancock chief of police, said the construction will present challenges for the department, but he thinks they will handle any situation that may come up.

He is concerned about turning left onto Hancock Street, however.

“Now, you are crossing two lanes of traffic, east and west,” he said.

There have been some construction vehicles driving east on Quincy Street, which is one way to the west, and Butler said he has talked to construction supervisors about the issue.

Butler said there are alternative routes police vehicles could drive, if they had to cover a situation.

“If they needed to they could maneuver through the side streets,” he said.

There could be an issue of some of the businesses on Hancock Street receiving delivery vehicles during construction, Butler said, and it might be necessary to stop traffic to let those vehicles into and out of the businesses.

Overall, Butler said the department will be able to deal with the situation.

“It’s not something that will keep us from doing our job,” he said.

Jack Dueweke, emergency measures coordinator for Houghton and Keweenaw counties, said he is concerned about the work on Quincy Street.

“That construction could end up being pretty interesting,” he said.

However, Dueweke said he’s satisfied that MDOT, the construction companies doing the work and the city of Hancock have coordinated well about the project.

“It’s going to, no doubt, impact traffic through Hancock, but it’s necessary and well planned,” he said. “I’ve been extremely impressed with the level of thought that has gone into this.”