COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – Frustrations with street construction delays in the City of Coldwater has reached the boiling point for some residents.
City Manager Keith Baker acknowledged the slow progress on some of the projects during Monday’s City Council meeting.
It was a difficult summer for those who live near Heritage Park. Streets near the park were milled but left unpaved for several weeks.
Western Avenue north of Hatch, where Legg Middle School and Lakeland Elementary are located, was not paved until just before the start of school.
The Coldwater City Council approved a bid of over $532,000 in April from Thompson Construction for this years local street milling and overlay project. There was a difference of almost $100,000 between the low bid by Thompson and the next lowest bid by Excell Paving who did last year’s mill and paving project.
Meanwhile, the organizer of the Monday night Cruise In at Kilgore International has taken to Facebook to blast the Michigan Department of Transportation. A MDOT project on the west side of Coldwater involves new curbs and driveways but the work is not done and that led to the cancellation of Monday night’s Cruise In. Organizer Michael Gregory said on Facebook that MDOT promised that construction would be done weeks ago. The west drive at Kilgore International is usually used by cars taking part in the Cruise In but it had a gaping hole this week.
Crews put some gravel in the gaping hole in the east drive but it is disappearing which has led to cars bottoming out trying to get in and out.
Courtesy Michael Gregory’s Facebook page
Gregory also said he was informed that without the proper entrance and exit, they would not be able to get everyone out if an emergency took place.
Guess they “got what they paid for” by hiring Thompson Construction. That company will rob you blind!