Fourth Street Project

Fourth Street construction to begin in Roscommon

(courtesy of the Houghton Lake Resorter - June 3rd)

Reconstruction of Fourth Street in Roscommon Village is scheduled to begin next week. Village Manager Tom Gromek said work is scheduled to start next Monday and be completed by July 27.

The proposed project will completely reconstruct Fourth Street including additional depth of sand sub base, placing a geotextile fabric layer, and constructing under drain saturated sub base. Also, the proposed project will include milling and resurfacing of approximately 500 feet of Fourth Street from Brooks Street to Sheley Street. New eight-inch water main will be installed for 1,500 feet along Fourth and Edna Streets to replace four and six-inch lines, and three aging fire hydrants and 15 water services will be replaced.

Gromek said the road improvements will make Fourth Street better able to support truck traffic to the village’s commercial district. They also are designed to relieve surface drainage problems by increasing road grades and providing means for surface water to leave the roadway.

Replacing the existing water main with eight-inch pipe and fixing the known leaks in the water system is designed to protect the community water supply and health. The improvements will also increase fire flows to the project area by as much as 100%, Gromek said. That will positively impact the village’s Insurance Services Organization rating and could reduce residents’ insurance premiums, he added.

The $365,800 project will be paid for with a $245,800 Michigan Community Development Block Grant and $120,000 in matching funds from the village.

Porath Contractors, Inc., Houghton Lake, are general contractors for the project. The engineering firm is Fleis & VandenBrink, Traverse City.

During construction, the village will put a low level of chlorine into the water system as a precaution against potential contamination or water main breaks. Gromek said the village will provide residents with updates on any detours and road closures during the project via the village web site and cable television Channel 2.