Coldwater summer road construction starts Monday – Coldwater Daily Reporter

COLDWATER Road construction season will begin Monday in Coldwater when the Michigan Department of Transportation starts work on U.S. 12 from the city limits east to Western Avenue.

The work on the $2.4 million project will take all summer.

"Traffic will be restricted to a single lane in each direction," said City manager Keith Baker. This is the project that will now bring access across the river on the north side of the bridge and some other aesthetic improvements to the bridge in the immediate area.

Since it is not part of the highway, the manager said the city pays for the additional improvements.

The city will pay to repave Willow Lane into Pilot Knob and the north Oakgrove Cemetery entrance drive. The road on old U.S. 12 by The Willows bar and restaurant will also get new asphalt.

The city will use half of its $1.2 million American Rescue Plan Act grant to fund the citys portion of the U.S. 12 /Coldwater River bridge work.

Prior story City of Coldwater upgrades US-12 road work at Coldwater River bridge

The council awarded two bids for summer road construction. Baker said both bids were around $100,000 lower than estimates.

Thompson Construction Co., LLC of Coldwater was low bid at $532,550 for street milling and repaving from local road funds.

Prior experience with Thompson Construction have been mixed. But there is a difference of $99,554 between the low bid and the next lowest of the four bids, Baker said.

The manager said prior issues were resolved and as part of its standard process, To ensure a quality outcome, the city will be employing a full-time construction inspector through Fishbeck Engineering and utilizing asphalt, concrete and aggregate material testing through SME.

The following streets are slated for work:

One section of repaving, the cut-off on West Pearl Street between US-12 to Jay Street, surprised the council. The council approved closing off Pearl from U.S. 12 and routing traffic to Pearl from Jay Street. The change would slow traffic through the residential area.

We were looking at a grant to maybe realign it and to eliminate this section of street. We werent successful in that grant," Baker said.

The manager said the engineering costs are substantial along with the construction.

The short stretch is one of the worst stretches of street in Coldwater.

"Were addressing immediate concerns," in repaving the cut-off, he said. The elimination project could come in the future.

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Reith-Riley of Goshen, Indiana, received the contract for $521,863 to reconstruct Butters Avenue from U.S. 12 south to Race Street.

As the primary entrance to the citys South Industrial Park, a detour is planned utilizing Jay Street to Race Street to redirect traffic around the work zone," Baker said.

For Butters Avenue, the city allocated the remainder of its $1.2 million American Rescue Plan Act grant.

City finance director Tom Eldridge told the council that because of the low bids and interest income, some funds will remain in the ARPA account.

The manager pointed out that the annual sidewalk repair program for the summer is underway. Crews are repairing and replacing sections of sidewalks along U.S. 12, Chicago Street.

---Contact Don Reid: dReid@Gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DReidTDR

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Coldwater summer road construction starts Monday - Coldwater Daily Reporter