Stevensville, St. Joe get state funding to repair roads

BERRIEN COUNTY, Mich. -- Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced on Thursday that 17 small cities and villages across the state will receive a portion of $3.1 million in total road repair grants from the Community Service Infrastructure Fund (CSIF) program.

"These grants will help communities across Michigan fix local roads faster to save drivers time and money," Whitmer said. "Since I took office, Michigan has fixed 20,000 lane miles of road and 1,400 bridges while supporting over 100,000 jobs, and today’s funding will add to that total. Let’s keep working together to fix the damn roads so people can go to work, drop their kids off at school, and run errands without blowing a tire or cracking an axle. Let’s get this done to make a real difference in people’s lives." 

Communities receiving the funds must have populations less than 10,000.

Locally, in Berrien County, Stevensville will get $227,150 for Demorrow Road repairs, and $137,694 for repairs on Berrien Street, Lawrence Street, Kimmel Street, Park Street, and Mill Street.

The City of St. Joseph Saint Joseph will get $97,800 for repairs to Saint Joseph Drive and Midway Avenue.

“From Stevensville to South Haven, the Lakeshore is benefitting greatly from this critical road funding, and I’m grateful to Gov. Whitmer and MDOT for recognizing the needs of our small-town roads,” said state Representative Joey Andrews (D-St. Joseph). “Especially for towns that rely on tourism to sustain their economy, having local roads in good condition is important to attract visitors, while permanent residents also benefit. This is a win-win for our communities.”

In Van Buren County, the City of South Haven is getting $151,300 for Elkenburg Street repairs.

“These grant awards show the governor’s commitment to fixing not just the interstate highways but also the local roads that my constituents use every day to take their kids to after-school activities or driving downtown to their favorite restaurant,” said state Representative Reggie Miller (D-Van Buren Township). “The city of Milan, and others like it around the state, will be better places to live because of this assistance in maintaining our local roads.”

According to the Governor's officer, the CSIF program was established by the state Legislature in 2018 and is administered by the Michigan Department of Transportation. It serves as a stop-gap program to help fund road projects in small communities.

"Successful projects were selected, in part, because they are paired with planned infrastructure work, coordinated with other road agencies, focused on extending the useful life of the road, and had limited funding sources for road improvements," the Governor's office said.

Grant awards range from $97,000 to $250,000 for road resurfacing, culvert replacement, pavement crack sealing, and other preservative measures.

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