QUINNESEC — Pickleball enthusiasts will have another option for courts later this summer as Breitung Township makes improvements to its Quinnesec Recreation Area.

The township is building two pickleball courts, along with a new tennis court and basketball court.

A bid was awarded in February to U.P. Concrete Co. of Bark River to lay the courts at a cost of up to $187,050. Fencing will be done by Northern Landscape & Fencing at a cost of $36,944.

The project is paired with a sidewalk installation on Lincoln Avenue that will enhance safety, said Steve Mulka, township superintendent. The Dickinson County Road Commission completed the sidewalk work earlier this month, providing a walking path along baseball and soccer fields.

The recreation area is also surrounded by Cliff, River and Division streets and the township might continue the sidewalks to complete a walking path around the entire park. That’s one of the goals listed in the township’s recreation plan, Mulka noted.

The court installation is underway and should be finished by late July or early August.

“For the court colors, they have available a light blue court surface and yellow line that mimics our township flag and the school colors,” Mulka said.

The courts are funded through the township’s capital improvement budget, which will also be tapped if the sidewalk extension goes forward.

With a sidewalk in place on Lincoln Avenue, parallel parking will now be required, as occasional diagonal parking in the past had created a hazard for pedestrians.

Another added feature for Quinnesec Recreation Area — as well as East Kingsford Recreation Area — is outside security cameras. We Energies provided poles from its used stock for the project and the cameras will be installed soon, Mulka said.