The Marshall County Commissioners received an update this week on the possible funding of the second phase of Veterans Parkway.
Katie Lear from USI reminded the commissioners that a joint application between the City of Plymouth and Marshall County was submitted for a previous Call for Projects for federal funding for the extension which was denied funding. Craig Parks from USI said INDOT officials thought that by splitting up the application between the City of Plymouth and Marshall County with a Memorandum of Understanding between both entities, and completing some preliminary engineering work would make a more competitive application for a December Call for Projects for funding in 2027. The county would be Local Public Agency for the project. It could be moved up to 2024 if the application is successful and federal money is available.
Parks recalled the overall details of the project.
“The second phase of Veterans Parkway goes from Michigan Road over to Pioneer Drive or Pine Road,” explained Parks. “There is a – what we anticipate being – a bridge over the Ernest Rightley Ditch. Right now it looks like preliminarily it’s going to be a bridge. It’ll be over twenty feet. Then there will be a small structure right adjacent to the railroad crossing with a roundabout connecting into the roundabout at Michigan and then roundabouts at Oak and at Pine as well.”
The county would apply for the project between Michigan Road to Oak Road and the city would apply from Oak Road to Pioneer Drive (or Pine Road).
The total cost of the project was previously estimated at nearly $14.9 million with the county’s contribution as two-thirds of the cost and the city’s funding contribution of one-third of the cost following the reception of federal funding.
The total preliminary engineering costs, if awarded federal funds, are right around $456,000 for the county’s portion and $210,000 for the city’s share. If the county can produce up to the first stage in preliminary engineering costs would be about $100,000 less for the county and about $60,000 less for the city.
Funding for the county’s portion was discussed and it would be potentially paid for with old U.S. 31 relinquishment money. That fund reportedly stands at $1.4 million.
A contract was presented to the commissioners for the preliminary engineering, but they will review it and consider it in a future meeting. Katie Lear and Craig Parks are expected to discuss the project and funding with Marshall County Council at their meeting Monday, July 12 and with the Plymouth Redevelopment Commission member during their meeting Tuesday, July 20.
Commission President Kevin Overmyer and Commissioner Michael Burroughs are interested moving forward with the project, especially with the current administration and proposed plans on U.S. 30. Commissioner Stan Klotz commented that he believes the focus should be on updating the current roads in the county rather than this project.
