When the Michigan Department of Transportation begins reconstructing part of M-139 north of Napier Avenue this spring, it will coordinate with the city of Benton Harbor so the city can also receive some street and underground infrastructure improvements.
The city Economic Development and Parks and Recreation Committee this week signed off on an agreement with MDOT for the work. Alex Marquardt with Abonmarche told commissioners under the contract, MDOT will rebuild M-139 from I-94 to I-94BL and reconfigure traffic so both M-139 and Fair Avenue carry two-way traffic. Fair Avenue will be reconstructed with one lane in each direction and bike lanes, then turned over to the city for long-term operations and maintenance.
“Part A being the water maintenance improvements,” Marquardt said. “So they list the requirements of the Part A, 100% participation, and they listed that cost at $54,000. Part B was the 100% city participation for the sanitary sewer work and the resurfacing of the section on Fair Avenue between Schultz Drive and Empire.”
Once the work is finished, the city will assume jurisdiction of southbound M-139/Fair Avenue from Schulz Drive to I-94BL and will receive Act 51 state funding for its upkeep.
Marquardt said the work will come at a cost of $229,000 to the city.
“This is a lot less than what they first initially came to you guys about. So they were using 875 [thousand dollars] as a target number.”
City Manager Alex Little said the city will have the money for the project by the time MDOT bills the city for the work in the fall. Commissioner Edward Isom welcomed the project.
“This is a major project,” Isom said. “I think it’s a benefit to city greatly. So transportation and turning into a two-way roundabout to city, I think, a benefit highly for this. New sewer.”
“Really going to impact the east side of the city,” Marquardt said.
The committee indicated its approval of the agreement. It will come up again before the full city commission at a meeting in the near future.
MDOT plans to work on M-139 south of Napier Avenue, from Ox Creek to North Fairplain Drive, in 2027.
