Three road projects to begin this summer

The St. Joseph County Road Commission can start budgeting for some major roadwork set to take place this summer.
Agency manager Chris Minger said Michigan Department of Transportation over the weekend awarded its bids statewide for summer projects, including three in St. Joseph County.
The three routes are: Silver Street in Mendon Township, Lovers Lane in Lockport Township and Colon Road in Colon Township.
Rieth-Riley Construction of Kalamazoo was chosen to improve Silver Street for a mile and a half from Wakeman Road north to M-60 at a cost of more than $372,000.
The Lovers Lane project will be handled by Niblock Asphalt of Bristol, Ind., for work on Buckhorn Road east to Enterprise Drive at a cost of nearly $220,000. The span covers about two-thirds of a mile and will involve a crush-and-shape process.
Meanwhile, work on Colon Road will be performed by Michigan Paving and Materials of Kalamazoo at a cost of nearly $360,000. Minger said a 3.5-mile stretch from M-66 east to Deno Road will see a two-inch overlay of new asphalt.
Minger said in all three cases, bids came in lower than road commission projections.