Members of the Plymouth Common Council received an update on the ProPEL US 30 West study by Brett Lackey, Project Manager from CMD Smith during Monday’s meeting.

The US 30 West Study Corridor is from State Road 49 at Valparaiso on the west to Beech Road on the east in Marshall County.  It also includes a portion of U.S. 31 from the U.S. 30 interchange in Plymouth, south to County Road 700N in Fulton County. The entire corridor is about 67 miles long. 

 

The PEL Study was developed about 10 years ago to create efficiency and transportation planning and project development. The process considers the environment, community, and economic conditions from a local and regional perspective.

The purpose of the transportation improvements along the U.S. 30 West Corridor is to improve regional mobility and safety along U.S. 30 and U.S. 31 and preserve both as vital statewide transportation corridors for moving people and goods.”   

There are three levels with level one being the Universe of Alternatives.  The draft of level one was released in November for public comment.  There was a total of 55 improvement concepts in the Universe of Alternatives.    

Level two is Concepts at Specific Locations and will be released mid to late March.   There are 14 level 2 intersections in Marshall County with 9 on U.S. 30 and 5 on U.S. 31.  Lackey said the 14 interchanges are the most for any county.   The rest of the intersections, secondary intersections, will be evaluated at level 3.

The Crash Heat Map shows the highest severity of crash locations identified on U.S. 30 and U.S. 31. in Marshall County. These primary intersections are US 30 and Queen Road, US 30 and Pioneer Drive, US 30 and Oak Drive, US 30 and Plymouth Goshen Trail, and U.S. 30 and Michigan Road. 

Lackey said the Marshall County Planning Study for both 30 & 31 conducted in 2023 with input from municipalities, businesses, and individuals was presented to the study team by the Marshall County Commissioners.  He said, “We are consulting this plan as we move through the screening process and are incorporating those recommendations into the plan wherever appropriate.”

Before he ended his presentation Brett Lackey detailed the four projects currently on U.S. 31 independent of the PEL Study.  Those are US 31 at State Road 10 with a new interchange, US 31 from State Road 110 to State Road 10 with access control, US 31 at State Road 110 with a new interchange, and US 31 at County Road 700N in Fulton County with a new overpass.   Construction is expected to begin in 2027.

Anyone wanting to give input into the US30 West Study area can stay in touch at www.ProPELLUS30.com or on Facebook at Propel U.S. 30.