Two representatives from USI Consultants gave an overview of the proposed second phase of the Veterans Parkway project to the Marshall County Council members Monday morning. It is proposed that Veterans Parkway would extend two miles west from north of the roundabout on Michigan Road in Plymouth to Pioneer Drive in Plymouth.
USI will be working with the county and the City of Plymouth in the process, with the Plymouth City Council, Plymouth Redevelopment Commission and the Marshall County Commissioners already in support of the roadway extension. Greg Wendling from USI told the county council the county is anticipated to submit the project for consideration this fall for federal funding in 2025. The preliminary cost estimate is about $14 million with federal dollars supporting 80 percent of the project, if awarded, along with the county’s portion of about $2 million and the city’s portion to be about $911,000.
Wendling explained the expenses would be spread out over a few years. The design, survey, environmental reports, right-of-way purchases, engineering, construction costs, and other matters will be spread out beginning in 2021 and ending in 2026. The largest amount the council would budget would be the construction cost of about $1.5 million which would be paid in 2025.
Marshall County Commissioner Michael Burroughs asked the council members for their support of the project.
“We would be entering in an interlocal agreement between the city and the county to get this started and get it funded,” commented Burroughs. “We would not be, and I want to stress this, we would not be taking anything away from our county highway road projects in any of the upcoming years. We would be budgeting this separate from any road projects that Jason, the county and the commissioners have. Now we feel is the time to get this approved and budgeted so that in 2025-2026 Veterans Parkway will be there for the residents of the county.”
Burroughs added that the extension would be beneficial when INDOT makes changes to U.S. 30.
“I’m part of the U.S. 30 Coalition and I can tell you the plans that they have made for U.S. 30 going forward we will desperately need the Veterans Parkway extension. If we don’t do it now, every year that we wait we will pay more.”
Bids would be let for the project in July of 2025 with construction to begin shortly after the bid award with the completion of the project in 2026.
The county council members unanimously voted in favor of supporting the project. The paperwork for the request for funding will be submitted this November with the announcement of the award sometime in January.
