Coming soon will be a sidewalk along the side of Napier Avenue in St. Joseph Township. The Berrien County Board of Commissioners approved a contract for the work Thursday. Berrien County Road Department engineering supervisor Kevin Stack tells WSJM News this is a township project sponsored by the county.
“They recognized the need for sidewalks down each side of Napier Avenue after we completed the road diet back in 2020,” Stack said.
Stack says St. Joseph Township did a study on the issue a few years earlier, and part of the intent of the road diet was to make a walkway for pedestrians possible.
“It will allow the pedestrian to get off the travel roadway, reducing the contact points between vehicles and pedestrians along that corridor.”
Stack said this will improve safety. The county helped the township secure some federal funding for the work, which will mean six foot wide non-motorized paths on Napier from Miami Road to Colfax. The project’s total cost is $615,000 with $393,000 of it being federal funds. Work could start late this year or early next year.
