MDOT is still preparing the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed route.

The current hiccup is the possibility that the habitat is right for Indiana bats, a federally endangered species, and also some snakes that are federally endangered or almost endangered.

“If we don’t find (the bat), we’re good to go; if it’s there, there are other issues,” said Mike O’Malley of MDOT.

But Jason Latham, MDOT Southwest Region engineer, said, “None of these are show-stoppers at this point.”

The schedule calls for submission of the final EIS to the Federal Highway Administration for signature in October 2007, obtaining the final approval (record of decision) of the EIS from the administration in December 2007, completing design engineering by January 2010,  acquiring all right-of-way by January 2012 and having construction by January 2014.

“Thankfully we have it funded in those complete phases and we’re going to work toward that schedule,” Latham said.

Funding from the state of $31 million was announced in May 2006.

Currently, hydraulic surveys, cultural resources studies (“archaeological,” of historic material below ground, and “historic,” of potentially historic buildings), and noise studies are being conducted.

Latham has set January as the time by which he plans to meets with property owners who may need to be relocated, so that they understand the process.  He invites people with questions to call the US-131 hotline at 1-877-200-8638.

A stakeholder/community meeting is planned for January 2007 and a public information meeting for May 2007.

MDOT has been tweaking its plan based on community comment, Latham said.

Constantine village trustee Tod Witek and interim Constantine village manager Mark Honeysett asked about the bridge or a state bridge.

MDOT officials didn’t have an answer, saying the decision would be made at a higher level than they.  They promised that if it would be delivered in good condition.

But the Constantine representatives expressed concern about who would pay for it a decade or two down the road when repair was needed.

Cathy Annis, executive director if the St. Joseph County Economic Development Corporation, said that the EDC board has determined that US-131 was going to be an issue until there was a limited access divided highway from the state line to Shaver Road in Portage.

“We will be working with you to get legislative muscle,” she said. “The first thing we will do is put together a position paper.”

Latham responded that “from our standpoint the selected alternative is Practical Alternative (PA) - 5” (the two-lane bypass around Constantine).

O’Malley assed, “We’re hamstrung- we have $31 million and this is our alternative.  Any other activity we do in this area we start over with a new environmental process.”

Brad Neumann, extension educator for land policy at the St. Joseph County Michigan State University Extension, said that the county planning commission was updating the county’s master plan, and a number of units agreed to preserve land for the US-131 corridor; that meetings of the county planning commission and the US-131 committee were the place to make comment about a limited –access US-131.

Sally Carpenter, retired extension educator, gave Constantine some words of advice concerning the new highway and the possibility of future economic development: