News File Photo A turn arrow sign indicates the end of 3rd Avenue near the Village Hills subdivision in June 2023. Plans are in the works for a project that could extend 3rd Avenue all the way to Tamarack Road.

ALPENA — A meeting is slated for Feb. 18 where key stakeholders will discuss the possible extension of 3rd Avenue.

During Monday’s Alpena Township Board of Trustees meeting, Township Supervisor Abbi Kaszubowski said Alpena Township, Alpena, the Michigan Department of Transportation, Alpena Public Schools, the Alpena County Road Commission, and residents will meet to get an update and discuss the proposed project.

A time for the meeting hasn’t been set yet.

Last year, the road commission and township announced they were interested in extending 3rd Avenue beyond Barrington Circle and out to Tamarack Road.

At the time, the township was considering pledging $1 million toward the project, but no official discussion or action was taken by the board. The projected cost of the proposed project could be more than $2 million.

The road commission is seeking a grant to help pay for the project, which would remove the need for township financial support.

Some members of the board indicated that the money could be used to address more urgent infrastructure projects in the township.

Besides extending the street, a roundabout is proposed near Barrington Circle to help slow traffic down in that area.

Some local officials say extending the road will help loosen up traffic congestion at the 3rd Avenue and Hobbs Drive/Bagley Street intersection and also at the light at M-32 and Bagley Street.

Right now, there is only one way in and one way out of Thunder Bay Junior High School, which also raised concerns about gaining entry to the school if there was a large emergency.

The idea of upgrading an existing access point that runs from behind Meijer to the school is also something members of the board believe could be explored, although it would not legally be able to allocate money for that type of project because it involves a private business’s property.

Alpena County Road Commission Managing Director Ryan Brege told The News earlier this month that there have been some changes in the way the project needs to be executed.

He said in December, the road commission withdrew its application to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy for a permit to construct the road in a wetland area.

He said the federal government got involved in the project and now other steps are needed for a permit to be granted before construction could begin.

“The Environmental Protection Agency is asking for a wetland delineation study done by someone through EGLE and that would probably come as early as June,” Brege said earlier this month. “The study would show what is wetland and what isn’t and then red flag the wetland. Ultimately it would result in less impact to the wetland.”

Steve Schulwitz can be reached at 989-358-5689 or sschulwitz@TheAlpenaNews.com. Follow him on X @ss_alpenanews.com.