Transportation/Auto

The St. Joseph County Road Commission spent more than $5 million on road maintenance last year, down from $6.5 million in 2010, according to the agency’s manager, Louis Csokasy. During his annual report to the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners last month, Csokasy said the agency did manage to complete 90 miles of road upgrades through chip-and-seal work in …

A nitrogen fertilizer spill in Florence Township Wednesday afternoon resulted in the leakage of 90 gallons of fertilizer. The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department said the incident occurred on Engle Road, just north of Featherstone Road. Officials said a tank was being pulled by a tractor when a weld broke. A level-gauge device snapped off when the tank dropped to …

Three Rivers municipal officials on Monday issued a public thank-you to the city of Sturgis for its help with cleanup efforts from the 2012 Water Festival. According to a Three Rivers news release, after the city’s street sweeper failed to operate over the weekend, Three Rivers DPS crews turned to their counterparts in Sturgis for assistance. Sturgis sent its own …

Here’s some road-construction information on two projects in St. Joseph County. The first matter comes from the Michigan Department of Transportation, which has announced a lane shift on M-86 at Industrial Drive in Centreville through 5 p.m. today. One lane will be open in each direction while crews make repairs to a water main. The other project involves the St. …

Motorists in Sturgis Township are being advised that the St. Joseph County Road Commission has started repairs on Shimmel Road at the railroad crossing, just north of U.S. 12. The work was slated to begin Wednesday and the crossing is projected to be closed for at least a week. Detours are in place and suggest motorists use Stubey or Klinger Lake …

The city of Sturgis on Tuesday started improving West Lafayette Street, between North Centerville Road and Broadus Street, from West Lafayette to Dresser Drive. Milbocker and Sons Inc. of Allegan was awarded the contract and started construction on Broadus Street. West Lafayette will be reconstructed once curb and gutter and base paving is complete on Broadus. The project is expected …

A media release issued Thursday by the St. Joseph County Road Commission indicates a roadway in Fawn River Township, closed since December, is now open. Department officials said Kime Road was slated to open at 6 a.m. today, as crews have finished work on a bridge spanning the Fawn River. The bridge is between Fawn River Road and Stoney Road.

City of Sturgis officials said general street-repair work started in two locations Monday. The first job calls for milling sections of North Centerville Road in an effort to smooth out bumps in the roadway. North Centerville Road will remain open during the process but with some lane restrictions. A news release from the city did not indicate the length of …

Rail congestion along a Detroit Amtrak route is expected to be alleviated with the addition of a new track to separate the movement of freight and passenger trains. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said Thursday that the Federal Railroad Administration is providing a $7.9 million grant for the West Detroit Connection Track project. Michigan will match that amount. The project is …

The St. Joseph County Transportation Authority is starting a new, weekly route with service to and from the Battle Creek VA Medical Center at Fort Custer. CTA executive director Steve Yorks said the inaugural trip takes place today and will continue every Wednesday. The round-trip cost is $20 and the Three Rivers-based agency needs 48 hours advance notice to coordinate …