Berrien County has received bids for some work near Silver Beach County Park in St. Joseph to help alleviate traffic congestion this summer.
As we’ve reported, the plan is to add another entrance lane to the park so there are fewer cars backed up and waiting to pay, among other things. Speaking at Thursday’s regular meeting of the Berrien County Board of Commissioners, Commissioner Mamie Yarbrough said the Finance Committee reviewed bids for that, and also for some sidewalk work, this week.
“We received two bids,” Yarbrough said. “The projected cost expected by the parks department was about $60,000, and the bids that came in was — one was $81,560, the other was $86,400.”
Because the bids came in higher than expected, Yarbrough said the sidewalk work will wait until later. She said that’s a good thing because it gives planners more time to observe how pedestrians get around near the beach.
County Administrator Brian Dissette said all of this shows the county is committed to working with the city of St. Joseph to help reduce congestion.
“More cars will be able to queue and go into the two lanes for payment,” Dissette said. “This aligns with everything that we’ve talked about as part of some of the Silver Beach traffic management efforts.”
The cost to add the new feeder lane will be $41,950.
Other plans between the city and the county include turning Broad Street below the bluff into a one-way street and removing some sidewalks and adding berms and other landscaping to keep people on designated walkways.
