City of Hancock announces multiple summer infrastructure projects, advises community

HANCOCK, Mich. (WLUC) – Four summer infrastructure projects are underway across Hancock, and the city wants residents and visitors to keep them in mind as they travel.

The first is a city-wide sewer improvement project. MJO Contracting will be digging down to line, inspect and/or replace sewers in multiple locations.

“They’ll be pulling up the pavement in quite a few areas, the roads will be closed,” Hancock City Manager Mary Babcock said. “They’re not large areas, so it might be a corner of a block that will be closed for a day, so there should not be any traffic impediment on that one, other than you might have to detour.”

There will also be two road projects. The first is on North and Prospect Streets near the county fairgrounds. The area will be straightened out and paved, and handicap parking will be added for the fairgrounds by FA Industrial Services. It is being funded by a Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) Category B grant of $142,386.50. The grant has a 50% match, with a total of $284,773 going into the project.

“Our next one is Minnesota Street, and that is going to be a total reconstruction,” Babcock continued. “We received a grant for the paving of the street, and that will probably be a two-month project. So, we are having a meeting with the property owners on July 8, so we can go over, logistically, how that is going to work.”

The grant funding the project is another MDOT Category B grant worth $237,412, with a total of $474,824 funding the work. B&B Contracting will be undertaking this project.

A Drinking Water Asset Management (DWAM) grant is also 100% funding an assessment of the city’s water system connections to check if there are any lead pipes. City staff will be handling this task.

“The city doesn’t believe that we have lead pipes,” Babcock added, “But we have to do so many checks. They are digging up pipes and checking the connections and then re-filling the same areas. And I think there is 120 in the city that we have to check.”

Babcock notes the goal is to have these projects completed by the end of the year. Residents can reach out to Babcock by calling 906-482-2720 or emailing manager@cityofhancock.net for further inquiries.

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