Planners Seek Input On Proposed Road Projects

roadconstruction33-6
roadconstruction33-6

Public input is being sought on a multi-year transportation plan for the Niles, Buchanan, and Edwardsburg areas. Southwest Michigan Planning Commission associate planner Brandon Kovnat tells WSJM News the Niles-Buchanan-Cass Area Transportation Study, or NATS,  put together the plan laying out how federal road dollars will be spent.

“Each year, NATS gets federal funds of about $575,000 — that increases about 2% every year — that the NATS committees collectively decide how to spend,” Kovnat said.

Kovnat says the projects laid out in the plan are for larger roads around the region.

“Locally, there are eight projects using NATS funding, plus a few that are direct from MDOT for bridge work.”

Among the projects included are the replacement of the M-51 and US-12 interchange, improvements to US-31, and work on 13th Street in Niles. The Transportation Improvement Program plan covers road and bridge projects from 2020 through 2023. You can find the transportation plan and the page to make comments right here.