Posted on January 6, 2022
MARQUETTE, MI— The City of Marquette has been awarded $1,617,750 in grant funding to dredge and improve the Upper Harbor.
City officials first applied for funding from the U.S. Maritime Administration’s Port Infrastructure Development Program in 2020 but were denied. In July officials reapplied after Cleveland-Cliffs and Lake Superior & Ishpeming Railroad committed to $750,000 in matching funds over the next three years. The Superior Watershed Partnership greatly assisted the City with the new proposal.
The project includes dredging in front of the power plant property to prevent sedimentation at the ore dock slip; dredging of the slip and stabilization of the piers; and placement of the dredge materials along Lakeshore Boulevard.
The total cost of the project is estimated to be $2,367,750.
City Manager Karen Kovacs says construction will begin quickly after the grant is received. All funding is expected to be expended by 2024.
She says, “…this project is a collaborative effort between the City, Cleveland-Cliffs, Lake Superior & Ishpeming Railroad, and the Superior Watershed Partnership. The SWP staff greatly assisted the City with grant proposal development, so huge kudos to them.”
