A fog-abatement tunnel over Washington Avenue at the eastern entrance to the city of Zeeland is one step closer to becoming a reality.
Zeeland City Council on Monday adopted a resolution to move forward with the process of evaluating the tunnel concept, but stopped short of committing to the project, which was proposed in November by Consumers Energy as a way to prevent the closing of Washington Avenue due to heavy fog from the cooling towers of its gas-fired plant on Fairview Road.
“This is an issue the city has been dealing with for a number of years, and since Consumers Energy bought the property (in 2008) they have aggressively looked at the issue and how we could abate the fog situation,” City Manager Tim Klunder told council.
Consumers proposed the construction of a 900-foot raised tunnel — more like a berm — over the road, which would allow vehicles to continue using the street during the presence of the fog. Currently, the city uses flashing lights and barricades to stop traffic when the fog gets too heavy. The fog plume has plagued that area since Mirant Corp. built the plant in 2001.
According to Consumers, the road was closed 28 times during the winter of 2008-09.
The tunnel is expected to cost $10 to $12 million, which would be paid by Consumers. The resolution passed Monday made it clear the city did not intend to fund the project.
According to the resolution, the city will continue to consider the tunnel proposal if the following conditions are met: The tunnel be wide enough to permit two-way traffic and be tall enough to allow vehicles which have a height of 14 feet; That evidence is presented that the tunnel will, in fact, alleviate the need to reroute traffic or close Washington; That Consumers funds all costs for construction and the professional fees incurred by the city; A funding plan be established for the ongoing operational and maintenance costs; That adjacent property owners do not find the tunnel detrimental to their businesses and that the residents or consultants for the city do not provide substantial reasons to stop the project.
Garrick Rochow, asset manager for Consumers, said the company has been conducting studies and will be certain the tunnel will perform as advertised before moving forward.
“We have a number of models that are part of the credible evidence that this is the right solution,” he said. “I think it’s a positive step in the direction to resolve the fogging.”
Council members, before voting to approve the resolution, wanted assurance that they would not be committing to the project without first hearing from Zeeland residents. A public hearing is tentatively scheduled for March 15.
