The Leelanau County Road Commission announced Tuesday plans to halt the construction of Alpine and White Road bridges in Solon Township.
The stoppage of planning and construction resulted in uncertainty about funding from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NCRS), an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that is footing most of the bill.
Road Commission Manager Brendan Mullane said hopes to get an update in the next couple of weeks on the project that was planned to begin this spring.
“If we get clearance in the next three to four weeks, we could probably still have time to order (materials) for one of the bridges and have it done before winter hits this year,” Mullane said.
The project includes the construction of two culverts over the Cedar Creek project.
At January’s meetings, road commission officials authorized contracts for construction materials that have since halted.
Mullane said concerns also arise from pending federal tariffs that will affect material costs, especially for the expected timber bridges made from Canadian timber.
“It’s an outside chance (we can get it done this year),” Mullane said.
Concerns about tariffs and dramatically rising costs could also affect other looming projects.
The Crystal River Bridge in Glen Arbor Township continues despite what happens with other bridges.
In some good funding news, the Road Commission said it had secured at least a portion of $2 million in Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) road funds over the next four years.
The funding resulted because Leelanau County broke the threshold in the most recent census to qualify.
The funding will be used for road reconstruction on Cherry Bend Road only. However, the project is in conjunction with the Elmwood Township bike connector project planned for 2026, which includes renovations of a TART Trails bridge.
Road commissioners approved the purchase of a nearly $250,000, 14-foot-wide rubber tire roller used for finishing roads after tar and chipping. This will cause potential road crews to worry about fewer people, possibly helping with the waning labor pool. The roller has been on the wish list for the Road Commission over the past several years. Current rollers take several pases to complete the job, but the knew machine is expected to make one or two passes to finish the job.
Another reason for the purchase is to get ahead of tariffs.
Road construction at the corner of M-72 and M-22 is moving along as planned and is on track for opening February 28. The utility companies are putting in some crossings at Tom’s Market, blocking the path to Empire.
The Michigan Department of Transportation will then begin the round-about project slated for April 15 (weather dependent), with construction lasting through October. MDOT would like to start earlier if possible. One lane will remain open to access M-72 to M-22 or vice versa, which will cause expected backups in traffic.
“Seems to be on track,” Mullane said.
Meanwhile, the Road Commission is ready for the new earned sick time law, which gives a full-time or seasonal employee one hour of sick time for every 30 hours worked. Workers can only use 72 hours a year, and one or two bills are moving through the courts trying to stop the new law, which became effective today. Finance manager Susan Boyd reports that a system is already in place for employees.
The shop has been in overdrive, repairing the electronic wiring of snow plow trucks, which have been 90% of the problem this winter.
“Seven or eight wiring harnesses have been removed and replaced,” said Tim Trudell, fleet and facilities manager.
The Road Commission does report some rusting on the trucks’ grills, which is a cause for concern, especially in the newer trucks.
“Snow is piled up everywhere. Please be patient with us as we do that,” Mullane said.
