As Chelsea works toward becoming a more walkable city with non-motorized pathways that offer people a chance to get out and move more, one missing piece of that sidewalk system is expected to get under way this year.

After receiving a grant from the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation for $225,000, Chelsea, in conjunction with the Washtenaw County Road Commission, plans to fill in a gap along Old US-12 between M-52 and Freer Road near Pierce Lake Golf Course.

However, when the bids came in for the non-motorized path, they were about $168,000 more than the grant money so Tuesday night, Christine Linfield, city engineer, suggested revisions to the plan that would bring it closer to the grant amount. She said the estimate for the revised project is about $246,000.

Since January, MCI, Chelsea’s project engineers and the city have been researching possible options for revising the project scope, Linfield said.

They came up with two changes. One is switching to an elevated boardwalk design and request that the Road Commission reduce the required 6-foot paved shoulder to a 4-foot wide one, she said.

The sidewalk will fill in gaps in the existing walkways on the south side of Old US-12 and begin at the east end of Pierce Lake condos and continue to the east side of the Fairways subdivision.

City Council unanimously approved up to $13,400 for a design proposal so MCI can revise the project plans and bid specifications and apply for a permit from the Michigan Department of Environmental Protection.

Bids are expected to go out on March 29, Linfield said, with an April 19 bid opening. An exact start date has not been set for the work.

Lisa Allmendinger is a regional reporter for AnnArbor.com. She can be reached at lisaallmendinger@annarbor.com. For more Chelsea stories, visit our Chelsea page.