Last week, County Highway Superintendent Jason Peters told the commissioners he has talked with Milestone and they are scheduling the county’s Community Crossings projects; Tamarack Road from U.S. 6 to the county line; Pear Road from 14B to 18 B; and 15th Road from State Road 17 to the railroad tracks on Thorn Road. Additionally, the county will fund adjacent road projects on 1st Road from Tamarack Road to the county line; Sycamore Road from 9th Road to U.S. 30; Union Road from 9C Road to 10B Road; and 12th Road from North Michigan Road to Maple Road. The Community Crossing projects are a total of 7.3 miles for $1,780,284.75 and the additional paving is 5.5 miles at a cost of $1,405,627.65. The total cost for 12.8 miles is $3,185,912.40.
The County Highway Department crews continue patching, grading, adding material to some failed roads, and mowing roadsides of the main lines including Michigan Road north and south, Lincoln Highway east and west, and Veterans Parkway. Peters said the contractor who is mowing the county’s roadways has begun their second mowing.
The Highway Superintendent said there are two companies interested in providing spraying services for the county after the new brush chopped clears the rights-of-way. Peters said he would like to use both by having them spray in several different townships to compare their performance. He said, “In the future if they both perform well, we could use both of them as subcontractors.”
Superintendent Peters said signature pages have been set with offers to purchase needed right-of-way for Bridge #87 on 11th Road and Bridge # 120 on Upas Road. He said they are waiting to hear back from the landowners. Peters also said these two bridge replacements are candidates for 100% construction cost depending on how quickly they receive the required documents so the projects can be ready for bid letting. He said the state has some extra money but it will be available first-come-first-serve so he would like to get the documents signed as soon as possible.
