KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – This week, the Road Commission of Kalamazoo County (RCKC) announced that there may be some delays into how soon various projects in the area can be finished.
Officials say that a notable example for the 2021 season is Nichols Road and Solon Street located between Ravine Road and the City of Kalamazoo Limits.
Officials said that particular project not only involves coordination between at least six agencies in the public right-of-way, but there are expected material delays due to global supply chain issues.
Nichols Road was initially expected to be done by August 31, but the final completion date will depend on when material arrives. With that in mind, the project may be finished as late as November 2021.
With possible construction delays, Sheriff Richard Fuller spoke with us Wednesday morning about safe driving in construction zones and elsewhere, as the area has seen an increase in reckless driving lately.
“You’ve heard me talk for quite a while now how driving is pretty bad, and people are driving too fast and not paying attention to others around them,” Fuller said. “We have a lot of road projects, and if you’re not paying attention and speeding or on your hand-held devices, you’re going to get someone hurt.”
Aside from the Nichols Road project, there are several others currently underway, such as chip sealing efforts and a major road project on I-94.
“Every day, I hear reports from the workers that cars are driving so fast and so dangerously that they are coming close to the workers,” Fuller said. “We already had one fatality in that [I-94] construction zone earlier this year when someone lost control of their vehicle and struck the barrier, so we need people to slow down and pay attention.”
Across the state, Fuller noted that there was a huge increase in fatalities in 2020, which is continuing into 2021.
“Again, too many people are driving very poorly, and its leading to crashes and road rage incidents that we’ve not seen before to this level,” Fuller said. “We just ask people, slow down and pay attention to the traffic. Make sure you get from point A to point B without hurting yourself or others. That’s the goal.”
To listen to the full interview, click here.
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