Demolition, site work and new construction of a bridge / tunnel in Fork Township, Michigan. Design plans call for the construction of a bridge / tunnel.

Mecosta County Road Commission seeks $1.32 million for road bridge repair The Mecosta County Road Commission is seeking grant funds from the state to support the reconstruction of the Harding Road structure over the Chippewa River in Sheridan Township. (File photo) The Mecosta County Road Commission is seeking final approval of a $1.32 million dollar state grant to support reconstruction of the Harding Road culvert over the West Branch of the Chippewa River in Sheridan Township. “The Harding Road structure over the West Branch of the Chippewa River is failing to the point that our likely next option, without this funding, would be to close the road until we can secure enough funding to replace the structure with an actual bridge,” Road Commission Superintendent Tim Nestle said. “If we are able to secure the grant funding … the old structure will be demolished and replaced with a new concrete bridge.” Nestle said that the Road Commission was approached by Sen. Roger Hauck’s (R-Mt. Pleasant) office to submit projects that would otherwise be unlikely to get funded, one of which was the Harding Road structure. The projects were then submitted to a special appropriations committee for a one-time grant as part of the state 2026 budget process. “We are currently in the process of getting all the final approvals, so have not 100% secured any funding yet, but we are hopeful to start design work within the next month or so,” Nestle said. If the funding is secured, the engineering and design work will take place in 2026, with the project being sent out for bid for the 2027 construction season. Nestle said that there will likely be detours in place during the construction period, which will be determined during design. Although it is still to be determined, he said, it is likely that traffic will be pushed out via 17 Mile and 18 Mile roads to M-66 during the construction, which is expected to last four to six months. The Mecosta County Board of Commissioners approved an agreement with the County Road Commission to serve as the grant administrator for the grant from the state during its meeting March 19. Nestle said that the grant was inadvertently placed in the name of Mecosta County instead of the Mecosta County Road Commission, thereby requiring the county to act as administrator of the grant funding. Per the agreement, the county will serve as the administrative pass-through entity for the grant funds, serving as the official grantee for the grant. As the grantee, the county will establish and maintain the required online grant account or profile for submission of grant materials; submit grant documentation and reports prepared by the road commission to the state; and disburse grant funds to the road commission. “The county’s role is strictly administrative, and the county will not be responsible for project design, construction, engineering, project management or grant compliance,” Nestle said. According to the agreement with the county, the road commission will be responsible for all costs associated with the project and any costs not covered by the grant funding, including cost overruns, ineligible expenses, audit filings or repayment of grant funds required by the state.