Port Huron’s City Manager James Freed is rolling out a new regional plan to fix the Black River canal’s failed Tainter gate. Freed says a low construction bid came in at 4.7 million dollars—almost a million under estimate. His approach skips tax hikes, placing the cost on boaters through a permit system priced between $100 and $200 a year. Those fees would repay a 30‑year bond, backed by a million dollars in private donations. If approved soon, the canal could fully reopen by April of next year.
Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet
