Council votes to move phase two of Marquette Road construction ahead to 2017
By Correne Martin and Caitlin Bittner
The second phase of the Prairie du Chien Marquette Road reconstruction, from Mooney Street to La Pointe Street, originally scheduled for 2017, was pushed back one year, to 2018, due to indications of funding issues from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. The city was informed in October that the DOT had delayed the project, along with many others across the state, and that planning would also be delayed.
Since then, Prairie du Chien’s public works staff and administration have reworked the city’s construction and finance plans to anticipate a 2018 Marquette Road schedule. A reconstruction of North Michigan Street was moved ahead on the calendar and a Community Development Block Grant to fund part of the Michigan Street project was submitted.
On June 27, City Administrator Aaron Kramer heard from DOT Project Manager Craig Fisher that the Marquette Road project had a “90 percent chance” of receiving state funding in 2017 after all, and that the project was indeed being moved ahead to 2017. Fisher explained that, since other state projects have come in under budget, more funds are now available. He advised Kramer to move forward assuming a construction start in the spring of 2017.
“As staff began to work on the financing plan, with the new accelerated schedule, we explored the option of a loan through the Safe Water Drinking Loan Program (SDWLP). Unfortunately, the deadline for funding 2017 projects was Oct. 31, 2015,” Kramer said in a memo to the common council. “On June 29, I sent a letter to Jeanne Cargill, financial assistant specialist with the Wisconsin DNR, which oversees the SDWLP program, requesting a variance from the deadline, citing circumstances beyond [the city’s] control. The waiver was granted the following day, with a new deadline for submission being June 30, 2016.
“Staff spent most of the day on June 29 and 30 putting together a loan submittal, which will fund the water portion of the Marquette Road project ($457,323) and a portion of the street work ($173,168). The cost estimate for the city’s portion of the project is $925,960. At this time, our best estimate for the details of the SDWLP financing is that the interest rate would be between 0.99 and 1.65 percent, and up to 45 percent of the principal could be forgiven. We will not know the exact details until the application is reviewed and approved.”
The common council met Tuesday night, July 5, and approved two resolutions that allow staff to move forward with project planning.
As a result of the Marquette Road timeline change, the North Michigan Street project may need to be pushed back to 2018.
“We will continue with the CDBG grant application, which we have not confirmed, at this point, whether it can be applied to the project if pushed back,” Kramer added. “If not, we will once again apply for a variance due to extenuating circumstances or re-submit in 2017.”
