The $11 million Upton Drive reconstruction project in St. Joseph is finally finished, and the city celebrated Monday with a ribbon cutting.
The work, which took most of this year, included a complete reconstruction of Upton Drive from the St. Joe River to the Momany Drive intersection. The road has been reconfigured into two lanes with a non-motorized path, and the construction also involved the replacement of a water main and sewer line.
St. Joseph Mayor Brook Thomas told us at Monday’s celebration us the project was about preparing for the future.
“But it’s also going to support the infrastructure that we need for future development in this area,” Thomas said. “If we’re going to have new buildings, new residents, trying to draw people in, you’ve got to have that infrastructure in place so that you can support whatever is coming our way in the future.”
It took several partners to complete the project, including Abonmarche, MDOT, CSX Railroad, EGLE, ARP, Whirlpool, and Harbor Shores. St. Joe City Engineer Tim Zebell told us that made it quite the challenge.
“Honestly, it was one of the most challenging projects I’ve ever done,” Zebell said. “So, when you have to deal with CSX on six different agreements and try to coordinate that, you realize what a big institution they are.”
Zebell said the work included a directional bore under the St. Joseph River for the sewer line, which came with a whole additional set of considerations.
The city was able to complete the project with a combination of grants, a low-interest loan, and some of its own funds.
