COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – The on again, off again Business Loop I-69 project in Branch County is apparently on again for this year.
Coldwater City Manager Keith Baker says in his report for Monday night’s City Council meeting that MDOT has told the City the milling and repaving of Business Loop I-69 will begin two weeks from Monday on October 22nd and be completed by November 15th.
A labor dispute between the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association and Operating Engineers Local 324 led to a stoppage of nearly 150 roads projects around Michigan.
Governor Rick Snyder announced on September 27th that work would resume since the contractors’ association and the union agreed to continue working without a contract through the 2018 construction season.
As part of the agreement, MITA ended a three week lockout of O.E. 324 members.
The Business Loop I-69 project had to wait as the immediate priority following Snyder’s announcement of the agreement was work on the projects that could be completed prior to significant winter weather arriving.
Aside from crews patching the road surface in mid September, none of the scheduled repaving work has been done to the four mile stretch of BL-69. Eventually, work will be performed from the Fenn Road exit north to Pierce Street in Coldwater.
The project was originally scheduled to start August 13th.
