Dowagiac gets $240K grant for road repair

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The city of Dowagiac has received a grant from the Michigan Department of Transportation worth over $240,000 toward road reconstruction several city streets.

MDOT announced Thursday that 16 villages and small cities across the state would receive road funding grants awarded through the Community Service Infrastructure Fund Category B program. Established by the state Legislature in 2018 and administered by MDOT, the CSIF is a stop-gap program to help fund road projects in small communities.

The City of Dowagiac will match the MDOT funds, and use the money on projects for Allen Street, Cora Street, Miller Street, Ashland Street, Grand Boulevard and Mary Street.

A press release from MDOT said 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 lacked other funding sources.

Grant awards ranged from $30,000 to $250,000 for road resurfacing, culvert replacement, pavement crack sealing, and other preservative measures. Other  communities set to receive road funding grants include the cities of Allegan, Big Rapids, Ecorse, Gladwin, Harrisville, Litchfield, St. Louis, and Vermontville, along with the villages of Almont, Baraga, Farwell, Hesperia, Homer, Sand Lake, and St. Charles.

Enacted in 1987 and reauthorized in 1993, the Transportation Economic Development Fund (TEDF) helps finance highway, road and street projects that are critical to the movement of people and products, and for getting workers to their jobs, materials to growers and manufacturers, and finished goods to consumers. TEDF “Category B,” or the “Community Service Infrastructure Fund,” grants provide $3 million per year through Fiscal Year 2023 to be allocated for road improvements in cities and villages with a population of 10,000 or fewer. More details about the individual grants and information about the program are available online at Transportation Economic Development Fund (michigan.gov).

See www.Michigan.gov/TEDF for the project list and details.