News Photo by Torianna Marasco The entrance to Thunder Bay Junior High School on 3rd Avenue is seen in this photo taken Monday. Local officials are considering extending 3rd Avenue out to Tamarack Road which could help limit traffic at the school.

ALPENA — Alpena Township and the Alpena County Road Commission have each pledged $1 million to extend 3rd Avenue west of Tamarack Road.

The proposed project has been considered many times over the years, but this time around, it may become a reality.

An extension of 3rd Avenue could reduce congestion on M-32 from the light on Bagley Street to the new Aldi, near where Tamarack connects to the state highway.

Extending the street may also limit traffic jams from residents who are dropping off or picking up students at Thunder Bay Junior High School and make it easier to address any emergency at the school where roads need to be closed and a large response is necessary.

Right now, there is only one way in and out of the school and the surrounding neighborhoods near the end of 3rd Avenue.

A public hearing on the issue is slated for 6 p.m. on Oct. 7 at the township office building at 4385 U.S.-23 North.

Road Commission Managing Director Ryan Brege said if the project moves forward, work on it could begin in the fall and it could take three months or more to complete.

Brege said there are many reasons why extending 3rd Avenue makes sense. He said the number one reason is to make sure law enforcement, fire departments, Emergency Medical Services, and other first responders have several means of access to the school in case there is a large emergency.

“Police, fire, and EMS are all on board with this because, right now, there is only one way in and one way out,” Brege said. “Imagine if there was a big emergency and the sheriff’s department needed to respond. With the new location, they have to come all the way down M-32 to Hobbs and then down 3rd Avenue. If this is done, police can just take Tamarak to Third and avoid the lights and intersection.”

Sheriff Erik Smith agreed with Brege that changes needed to be made to make the school more easily accessible for first responders. He said the school wouldn’t be the only entity to benefit from the change, but families and their homes would also be better protected.

“With all of the congestion, buses, and pedestrians before and after school, it is just ridiculous right now,” Smith said. “This will only make things better and solve a big problem we have in that area.”

Tamarack Road connects to M-32 in an area of the highway where there is a large amount of fast-moving traffic. Brege said the road commission has had talks with the Michigan Department of Transportation about having a stoplight installed where the two roads meet. He said a traffic signal, coupled with the stop light by McDonald’s and The Home Depot, will make it easier for people exiting Aldi and the new Hampton Inn and Suites, which will be opening soon.

“It will give them larger gaps to be able to pull out and that will make it safer,” he said.

Brege said the $2 million should be enough to cover the cost of the construction, although that cost projection is older and there is a slight chance the project would be a touch over, but not much.

Alpena Township Supervisor Nathan Skibbe said the township is able to contribute to the project because of the trustees’ ability to budget and save. Skibbe said over the last eight years, the township has been able to bolster its savings to the point it can afford to help pay for the road improvement project. He said even after the $1 million is withdrawn, the fund balance will still have enough money in it where the township could operate for 90 days, even if all of its other revenues dried up.

Skibbe also stressed that the money has nothing to do with the ongoing water and sewer rate litigation with Alpena. He said the money for that is in the township’s enterprise fund and the money for 3rd Avenue is in a completely different fund.

“They are two completely different things and not related at all,” he said.

Once the extension project is completed, Skibbe said, it could open up new avenues for economic development. He said any new development along the new route would benefit taxpayers.

“Infrastructure, like roads, is a catalyst for development, whether that’s commercial or residential,” Skibbe said. “It also bolsters the tax roll, which is always important to be able to fund other things.”

Brege said during the project, 3rd Avenue from Hobbs Drive past the junior high, will also be repaved.

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