News Photo by Steve Schulwitz Alpena assistant engineer Steve Shultz uses a map to show where a proposed water and sewer project on 2nd Avenue could happen next year. The city applied for a $2 million grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, that would cover about half of the cost for water and sewer improvements, and to replace a water line that runs under the Thunder Bay River.

ALPENA — Residents on Alpena’s north side could receive improvements to nearby water and sewer system, if the city receives a large grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.

The improvements, if made, would help increase water pressure in the area and help prevent large water shutoffs during service repairs, limiting them to isolated areas.

The city would also check off one of its large projects in its capital improvement plan.

At its meeting Monday, the Alpena Municipal Council voted to apply for a $2 million grant via the Water-Related Infrastructure grant program.

If the grant request is accepted, the project would replace the water and sewer line along North 2nd Avenue, from the Thunder Bay River to Hueber Street, and replace the water main under the Thunder Bay River at 2nd Avenue.

It is estimated the cost of the project will be about $4,630,803, with the balance of the cost coming from the city’s water and sewer funds.

Steve Shultz, assistant engineer, said some water and sewer projects budgeted for this budget year could be shuffled into future years to create funds for the amount needed to do the 2nd Avenue project.

“We have had this project in our CIP for years, but it hasn’t made it into the budget, because it would basically be the only project we could do all year,” he said. “If we could get the grant that would be great.”

Shultz said several pipes handle the movement of water under the river and service residents on the north side. He said the water line was likely installed between 1930 and 1950 and needs to be swapped out. He said a hole is dug and the pipe inserted and pulled through to the other side. He said a second water line was installed underneath the river near 3rd Avenue around 2003.

Shultz said bids for the work need to be in place by the end of this year and construction could begin by May of next year. The project needs to be completed by December of 2023.

Shultz said if the money is awarded to Alpena, he anticipates if work begins in the spring next year, the work would continue until it was done near the end of 2022.

“It would be nice to have everything wrapped up before the snow flies, because I wouldn’t want to have to extend that project over two years if we don’t have to,” Shultz said.

Shultz said in June the city may get a letter requesting the results of an environment review for the state to examine before making a determination on the funding request. He said beyond that, he is unsure when the state will announce who gets the money and when.