BERRIEN COUNTY — With roughly 50 percent of Berrien County’s roads classified as in poor condition, the Berrien County Road Department has instituted a Three-Year Transportation Plan that will aim to fix and maintain local roadways significantly.

Jason Latham, the Berrien County Road Department managing director, approximates $21 million in road improvements. Overall, he said the goal is to move 75 percent of the roads to a good or fair condition by 2029.

The three-year plan is a tentative outline of initiatives and projects that could significantly impact the condition of local roads. The plan is re-assessed each year using gathered data. Latham said re-evaluating the plan each year allows the road department to make sure they are still in line to meet primary improvement goals and stay on budget. 

A major source of funding for the project is the Michigan Transportation Fund which garners funds through the gas tax law and registration fees. The plan also proposes a match from townships to help fund local road repairs, which Latham approximated to be a collective $4 million a year. He said townships in the county would be asked to support a very small portion of primary roads, such as highways. 

Latham said the team at the road department spent lots of time gathering data, analyzing and utilizing Roadsoft software to create a comprehensive plan. 

As far as when residents will start to see a change, Latham said the plan is already being put into action.

“It’s starting right now,” Latham said. “We are putting projects out for bid. We have contractors bidding right now. We will be doing that for about the next 12 weeks. We will feverishly be putting projects together.”

According to the plan created by the road department, roads have seen some major improvement since the 2018 construction season. The Berrien County Road Department uses a Pavement Surface Evaluation and Rating, which uses a visual inspection to rank the road on a scale of one to 10, with one being a failed road.

According to data from the department’s plan, before 2018 construction almost 75 percent of roadways were rated as poor. Following construction, only about 45 percent of roads were considered to be in poor condition. 

Among the highlighted projects are several major roadway improvements proposed for this year, including:

• Red Arrow Highway from Browntown to Sawyer Road could receive a 2-inch mill and fix. The expected project budget is approximated to be $400,000.

• Redbud Trail is expected to be widened from Shawnee to Grange roads with a 2-inch HMA overlay and storm sewer system improvements. The estimated budget is $732,000.

• Napier Avenue is expected to receive a 2-inch hot mix asphalt overlay treatment from Blue Creek Road to Morgan Road. The cost is approximated to be $620,000.

As far as big-ticket items Latham looks forward to accomplishing, he said repairs to Red Arrow Highway. A plan to rehabilitate the Napier Avenue bridge that crosses the St. Joseph River and the Walton Road bridge, which have yet to be added to the plan, will also be significant accomplishments if completed, he said.

tham said the three-year plan has been published to the Berrien County Road Department’s website. In it, residents will be able to look at projects planned for each year. The plan can be viewed by visiting bcroad.org.

Latham said he is optimistic that the Berrien County Road Department will be able to meet their overall goal, bringing 75 percent of roads to good or fair condition by 2029.

“I kind of think what would be nice is in the next four to five years, people see a difference in the pavement,” Latham said. “I am optimistic at this point. I always am. I have a great staff. They know what they are doing.”