Kellogg celebrates project end
Photo by CHANSE WATSON Kellogg Mayor Mac Pooler gives his side of the story as to how the Kellogg Infrastructure Revitalization Project came to be during a celebration of the project’s completion earlier this week.
KELLOGG — Motorists of Kellogg, rejoice — the road construction is over!
Officials with the city of Kellogg, along with other community members and construction representatives, celebrated the conclusion of their multi-year Infrastructure Revitalization Project on Wednesday night at the Kellogg Elks Building.
The $31 million project spanned four years and saw the replacement of the city’s century-old sewer system, many water lines and was then finished off with a fresh paving of the streets throughout town.
“The nearest we can figure is that this project began in 1892,” said Kellogg Mayor Mac Pooler, jokingly. “But four-and-a-half years of work following 15 years of planning. It’s been a long haul.”
On top of age, Pooler watched the roads deteriorate even quicker after the Environmental Protection Agency began its cleanup efforts as part of the Superfund project. As those efforts in town began to wrap up though, he decided to explore the opportunity of getting the roads redone and with them some revitalized infrastructure.
“We sat down with the EPA and told them, ‘hey, you’re spending $230 million in the box, but you’re not accomplishing anything with the roads,’” Pooler said.
From there it was meticulous planning and execution, with some help from the voters who said yes to a multi-million dollar sewer bond in 2014.
Now, with the completion of the project, Kellogg will be getting back to normal during its warmer seasons without there being multiple street closures or detours through town.
Derek Forseth with Alta Engineers, a firm that handled much of the project, was at the celebration on Wednesday and was thankful for the support of the Kellogg City Council.
“It’s so rewarding to see the city today and the future it has,” Forseth said. “We knew it was going to happen when we had that first town hall meeting and the entire council was there to support the project.”
The project was the largest integrated utility project in Kellogg’s history.
Outside the sewer bond, the funding for the projects came from EPA’s Paced Roads Program, USDA Rural Development Grants, a community development grant from the Panhandle Area Council and a Water District Bond.