QUINNESEC — After receiving the blessing of residents along E Bar D Road at a special meeting Monday, Breitung Township will move forward with a plan to improve the road this year.

As a part of the project, the road would be lifted 3 to 12 inches, trees would need to be removed from the right-of-way and some work will be performed on the ditches. The township plans on spending up to $250,000 on the project.

Discussions to have E Bar D road redone have been a long time in the making. In 2016 a special meeting was held but at that time property owners were hesitant to have trees cut down. Rather than proceed, the township moved ahead with other road projects.

Most of the residents in attendance at Monday’s meeting agreed that the road has now deteriorated to a point where something needs to be done soon.

Dickinson County Road Commission Managing Director Jim Harris said many of the trees property owners were hesitant to cut down in 2016 have now died of oak wilt. Harris said removing some trees would allow the sun onto the road, drying it faster and making it safer for motorcyclists and pedestrians.

Harris was asked by property owners if E Bar D Road would continue to drain into Lake Antoine Road and if the intersection could be improved, saying that going left is a blind turn.

Harris said that the engineer is looking to make the intersection closer to a 90-degree turn.

Township Supervisor Denny Olson said that this would be the time to make those improvements.

“We want to do it the safest way and do it correctly,” Olson said. “If it is going to cost us a few more dollars, now is the time to do it so we do not have to look at it for 30 years and just maintain it.”

Brendan Mashak, who lives at the end of E Bar D Road, asked if the new road would be wide enough so buses, plows and garbage trucks could turn around without tearing up his drive. Harris said that a turn-around of some sort will be built.

The project will now be brought before the board during its regular meeting on Feb. 10. If approved it will go before the road commission the following day and if approved there it will go out for bids.

Olson also inquired about a private road that adjoins E Bar D Road. The road was put in by property owners approximately 25 years ago and is in a state of disrepair. Snow removal and maintenance of that road is currently the responsibility of the property owners.

The township hopes that the owners along that road would consider turning it over to the county. For the county to take over the road, the homeowners would need to pay for the road to be brought up to specifications, as it was probably not built with the right base.

Olson said that the cost of bringing the road up to specifications could be done by way of a special assessment and paid for over the next several years.

Superintendent Steve Mulka told the property owners that there may be assistance, including low-interest loans or even grants help with the cost.

Olson said the township would like to see the private road project done at the same time as the E Bar D Road project to save costs, but conceded that a lot of pieces need to fall in place for the private road project to happen.

Harris, Olson and Mulka advised the homeowners to organize a committee and request a special meeting to move forward. Mulka also suggested that property owners formalize their agreement for maintenance of the road to help when going for funding.