Berrien Township, located in Berrien County, Michigan, recently received a state transportation economic development grant from the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT)
to relocate Deans Hill Road.
This will help the Berrien County Road Commission to create a new, all-season road that will join Berrien Springs with Eau Claire.
Relocating Deans Hill Road will make up the first half-mile of the new 3-mile route that the township’s leaders want to develop. Relocating this road will remove two curves that are currently problematic for drivers on the roadway. It also will remove a hill, which will enhance the safety of the road during inclement weather.
The $1.2 million project will use the $375,000 Transportation Economic Development Fund (TEDF) Category F grant to finance part of the project. The remaining $825,000 will be taken from Berrien County Road Commission coffers.
TEDF made these awards possible, varying from $260,000 to $375,000, for a total of $2.8 million. This competitive program received 31 applications for the grants, and only eight were approved.
TEDF, established in 1987, provides financial support for road and highway projects that are crucial to transporting people and goods.
