IRON MOUNTAIN — Culvert replacements may begin this fall in advance of a 2025 road project in Norway and Waucedah townships that will be funded through a $1 million appropriation from the state, Dickinson County commissioners learned Monday.

Jim Harris, managing director of the road commission, said the County Road 573 project will go from the Norway city limits to U.S. 2 in Loretto. A rubberized overlay will be applied, he said.

A special appropriation in Michigan’s fiscal year 2025 budget made the project possible. State Sen. Ed McBroom, R- Waucedah Township, announced the line item in June and Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed the $82.5 billion state budget a month later in Detroit.

Township requests were instrumental in securing the funding, Harris said.

Despite that success, funding remains the biggest issue for the road commission, Harris told the board. If it weren’t for township road millages that help provide matching funds, along with a countywide millage, the number of projects would be minimal, he said.

A voter-approved county road millage of 0.5 mills, or 50 cents per $1,000 of taxable value, is in effect at least through 2026.

On another topic, Harris thanked the board for access to the county’s eCivis software, which helps in grant searches. He recommended other governmental units and agencies inquire about using the system.

The county acquired the eCivis software last year. The company serves more than 1,100 state, local and tribal governments.

In other action, the county board:

— Appointed Mindy Meyers, executive director of the Dickinson Area Economic Development Alliance, to a three-year term on the Land Bank Authority. A vacancy for a partial two-year term remains. Meyers replaces Lois Ellis, the former DAEDA director.

— Approved a change in the Lake Antoine Park Partners bylaws that reduces the number of county commissioners serving on the LAPP board from two to one. As before, the LAPP board must have minimum of seven but no more than nine members.

— Heard Commissioner Barbara Kramer report that construction has begun on LAPP’s “Sunset Beach” retaining wall and accessible picnic area. A total of $35,000 was raised to stabilize the shoreline and offer an accessible location to highlight Lake Antoine sunsets.