Work On Alfred Wright Boulevard Continues

IRONWOOD, MI - Tuesday, June 17, 2008 - Xcel Energy crews were hard at work yesterday moving utility poles back to allow for the reconstruction of Alfred Wright Boulevard.

Ross Peterson Construction is the general contractor for the project which will involve resurfacing seven tenths of a mile of the boulevard as well as work on the water and sewer lines and the sidewalks. The project began immediately after school ended for the summer. It is estimated that the job will take about ninety days to complete, so construction should be finished before school starts again in the fall.

The utility poles are being moved for two reasons -- primarily safety, and also to make room for the somewhat criticized new paved walking path. At the most recent City Commission meeting Alfred Wright Boulevard residents voiced strong complaints about having a wider than normal paved path in front of their home instead of a standard concrete sidewalk. The City has been working with the homeowners on the boulevard to amicably resolve any issues they may have.

Critics of the walking path point out that the path has no beginning and no destination -- it connects to nothing.  The eventual plan in to tie the Alfred Wright Boulevard walking path into a network of trails throughout the City. Ultimately the trail will lead through the downtown to the north and past Norrie Park to the south. At a recent Gogebic County Comprehensive Plan meeting held at the college, a county-wide non-motorized trail system was proposed.

Assisting Ross Peterson with the Alfred Wright Boulevard project will be Ruotsala Concrete. At the time this article was posted, the Chronicle did not receive any information regarding the projects potential impact on this weekend's Renaissance Faire at Norrie Park.