The Herald-Palladium from Benton Harbor, Michigan • 12

1 2A SUNDAY, September 1, 2002 The Herald-Palladium Benton Harbor-St Joseph WEATHER REM? Today Tonight Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday maps and forecasts provided by AceuWeather, Inc. S52002 Shown is today's weather. Temperatures are today's highs and tonight's lows. Marquette 80S9 SauttSte. Marie eo81 Partly sunny, warm and mors humid.

82 (-storm. 65 Ctoudsandsunwitha thunderstorm. 82 63 Partty sunny, it may thundefstorm. 80 59 Cooler with some sunshine. 78 59 Mostty sunny and warmer again.

82 61 -x- Cheboygan Aitesan ct.ta "ftfj. it -3 ten! ton harbor through I pan. yesterday -100 Travart City Temperature Dairy range ff b-H ffiff fl ff (7 E3-or Z1.12 80" .82 .55 .77. Normalhigti, HS.N.BU 5T 37 ST 5 4 Paw Paw Normal i r. 16 i land 1 Edusiv AccuWeaer composite ot the etteets ot tamperature, wind.

humoty sunshine, precipitation, and elevation on the human body. 6 son. today Noon today 83 pjfcMT." -By 8 pm. today 77 A A Minimal; 4-5. Low; 8-7, Modarata; vary High Higher indu mimbw rcfcata greater tyt and sMnaxpo-aura to UtmkUst rays.

I un. Noon today 7 Precipitation Month to date V. 40s .5.12" i Normal morAtoS M7 828 830 831 91 3 5 Temperatures peat 5 days Ternperetures next days Year to date F.nt .20.28" rtamstjrwto'isa: Pollen Mold Brldgmat 8262 -4 i. GraintPer Cubie Meter Rating Allergen j3 Ann frietl From Holland to Indiana border. Winds will be from the south-southeast at 8-16 Knots today.

Wave heights averaging 1-2 feat through tonight. Visibility wW generally be clear to the horizon. The water temperature is currently 56 degrees. Harbor St Joe. Chicago 8470 rt South 8564 a 1 New E- jr.

Niles Grass MoW .2400 High. Toledo (t's 8381 Sunrtee today Sunset tonight Moonriee today Mooneet today ....8:20 p.m. 12:53 SA. 4:38 p.m. Last New First Source; PA in Cotoma, Michigan Air Quality MainOttender Th high trw numbw.

tw 040 Good giMMclh nnd tor PMpl SM00 ModirM IVOUCV OUwOe rndNftf- 1 Slrom0o206, -UWtWywrwii Source; EPA in Cotoma, Michigan Monday Hi LoW Tuesday HI Lo 3 Sept 6 Sept 13 Sept 21 Sept 29 Warm and more humid today with sunshine and a few clouds. Partly cloudy tonight with a thunderstorm possible. Clouds and sunshine tomorrow with a thunderstorm or two. Today HI LoW 88 66 pc 82 62s 85 638 84 62 pc ,80 59 pc 83 61 a City JOM Kalamazoo Kokomo Kankakee Marquette BBS 11 Tuesday HI low eteopc 81 57 pc 68 62pe 82 58 pc 68 489 80 53pc 79 52pc 86 60PC 77 66 pC 60 55pc 80 54pe 74 61 pc eseope 64 61 pc ,78 82D0 Today Hi LoW 82 87a 83 62s 5 83 81 a 83 61 pc 84 70pc 84 63 pc i 80 82 PC. 82 63 pc 82 65S 82 60s 4 82 62a 82 63s 85 85pc 86 65 pc 82 61 a Monday HI LoW 87 67 pc 84 65 pc 87 66pc 86 64 pc 77 53t 84 64 pc 63 6300 86 65 DC 82 65pc 84 63 pc 85 64 pc 76 58 sh 86 66 PC 85 64 pc 80 62 PC Indiana Partly to mostly sunny, warm and more humid today.

Partly cloudy and humid tonight. Warm tomorrow with some sunshine; an afternoon thunderstorm possible. Illinois Warm and humid today with sunshine and patchy clouds. Partly cloudy tonight with a thunderstorm possible late. Partly sunny tomorrow with another thunderstorm.

Ohio Partly to mostly sunny and warm today. Partly cloudy and humid tonight, Warm tomorrow with some sunshine; an afternoon thunderstorm City Ann Arbor Battle Creek BayClty Chicago it? Cincinnati Cleveland Columbus, OH Detrol Flint Fort Wayne Grand Rapids Gary Indianapolis Jackson 83 86pe 81 59 pc 80 54 PC 74 49pc 82 82P0 87 65pc 82 82PC 87 66pc 82 8200 81 55 pc 84 82p0 79 56 pc 82 6106 86 65 pc 8188P0 64 61 PC 85 65 pc 6S64PC 79 60c 86 88pe 87'64pc 82 64 PC 88 65 pc 84 66 pc 84 64 pc 84 64 pc 83 65 pc 87 68 pc 87 67 pc 83 85pc Midland Mount Pleasant Muncle Muskegon Lansing Saginaw Sault Sta. Marie South Bend Toledo Traverse Clly Upper Peninsula Mixed clouds and sunshine today with a shower and thunderstorm during the afternoon. Mostly cloudy tonight with a thunderstorm. A shower and thunderstorm possible tomorrow.

Lower Peninsula Warm and more humid today with sunshine and patchy clouds. Partly cloudy tonight with a thunderstorm possible. Clouds and sunshine tomorrow with a thunderstorm. 84 60S 84 62s 81 63 pc 83 60s 83 811 80 61 pc 85 841 83 61 80 62pc Lagand: a-sunny, pe-partly cloudy, e-doudy, ih-ihowtri, rraln, Mhundoratoima, of-wow fkirrln, en-anow, l-lee 1 I'MlMm Jaamj' 1 i ft. Tuesday HI LoW Today Monday Tuesday HI LoW HI LoW HI LOW Monday HI low Today Monday Tuesday HI LoW HI LoW HI LoW Today HI LoW City Wbuouerque'i 62pe Anchorage 61 46 Monday Tuesday HI LoW HI LoW 88 63pC rae" 64 45 61 47 pc 87 70 pC 87 71CJ 76 66 60 66pc 84 86 PC 83 68 DC 90 70 pc 92 71 pc 88 801 SSptf 70 63 sh 70 63c 8W4 82 80 p8 88 71 88 73 1 meiKTM 83 pd 78 67 88 69 pc ret sm 80'83po Today HI LoW 101 781 68 52S 86 78 1 87 76 pc 88 491 75 55 pc 77 67 pC 79 58s 63 46 70 64 78 58 pC 85 43 1 86 731 78 56 pc 63 620 City Beijing Berlin Calcutta HonoJong Mexico City Montreal Moscow Paris Rio de Janeiro Roma Sydney Tokyo Toronto Vancouver City Dei Moines Helena Honolulu Houston Kansas City Las Vegas little Rock Los Angeles JMempWs Milwaukee 'Minneapolis Nashville Ortsant 1, New York iprf0Jl' City Oklahoma City' Omaha Orlando Philadelphia Phoenix Pittsburgh Portland, ME Portland, OR SLLoulS -Salt Lake City 8an Antonio San Diego San Francisco 1 Seattle Washington; DC 6.

-y 890 56 pc 779 77 PC 68 DO 69 eh 60 52s 600, 57s 60 po 51 pc 76 po 67 45 sh 93 70 PC 90 67 pc '91 74 DC 70 64r 106 84 pc 78 .62 pc 68 54 a 80 56 pc 89 72 pc 90 59 PC 98 73 pc 78 64 pc 78 56S 68 56c 70 65 93 68 PC 70 55 po 87 78t 89 75c 70 8811 75 53c 73 59 PC 72 51 pc 66 56 DC 68 52S .77 60 pC 73 53s 87 78 pc 78 58 pc 83 43f "ww i it eane 87 68 PC 84 52 89 74 DC 94 74 pc 90 70 DC 102 77s 92 72 pfi 88 65 pc 91 73 pc 82 66 pc 82 64 PC 88 68 pc '89 76 PC 70 65c ,77 72 96 71 88 64pc 90 76t 64 eapc 103 81 DO 84 64pc 74 68 po 72 54c '87 680 68 63s 92 73C 77 68DC 66 62po 66 52sh 88 70 PC 88 66 pc 82 50 pc 88 74 PC 94 76 pc 90 68pC 102 77 pc 4 71 po 88 65s 94 73 PC 85 68 pc 84 88 PC 91 70 pc 90 76 pc 74 67c 80 72 P0 83 62 pc 83 48 88 74 pc 94 76 pc 68 68 pc 102 77 98 72pc 83 63 93 72pC 77 60 pc 77 681; 92 70s 90 76 pc 80 69c 84 72 PC 95 71 pe 88 67 pc 91 74 1 78 68 pc 105 83 PC 62 64 pc 70 60 PC 80 58 pc 91 71 po 87 61 95 72 po 80 68 76 54S 72 54C 88 70 PC Atlanta 82 70c Atlantic City 70 62 BaltJmora T7184f Birmingham 87 70 Boise 88 681 Boston 70 60 pc Buffalo 78 62 pc Cnaneston, SC 86 71 sn mtmau 8i ei i Charlotte 76 68 62 po Dallas 64 74 pc 10. 3 40 rp 60a 70.. 1 NATIONAL SUMMARY: Ram will continue from the mid-Atlantic southward to the Carolina! today. High pressure in New England wUI provide a nice day with sunshine and high temperatures the 70t. Dry, warm weather will affect the Great Basin and California.

Thunderstorms will accompany a cold front through the Upper Midwest. 97 74 pc 94 76 i 'ii i 1 i i 4 j-- FREEWAY Th state hasn't put high priority on funding new roads; local squabbling over route also contributed to delay From page 1A of time and money preparing. Sodus and Benton townships are taking steps to use zoning laws to control development near interchanges. Those townships, and others on the part of the freeway that is already open, also have an opportunity to preserve scenic' beauty by limiting signs and other visual blight, officials said. The Southwestern Michigan Commission, a regional planning organization, is working with local governments to help them preserve the rural character of the area.

The greatest impact may be improving transportation on local roads by shifting commercial traffic to the interstates, Schuh said. "I think the biggest effect is that it will take traffic off Old 31," he said. "I think the trucks are what make it spooky." The new highway may bring increased commuter traffic as more people find they can work in the South Bend area and live in Michigan. According to MDOT's Ramos, the traffic volume on the new freeway is projected to be 23,000 vehicles a day, or 1 1,500 going in each direction. The number will be somewhat lower at Napier Avenue than points farther south.

Of the total, 8 percent will be commercial trucks, Ramos said. "I would anticipate that once people hear that U.S. 3 1 is open, the volume would pick up," he said. In addition to reducing the traffic volume on Old 31 between Berrien Springs and the Twin Cities, Ramos said die new freeway will take pressure off 1-94 between M-139 and I-196. Greg Vaughn, chairman of the Benton Township Planning Commission, said a committee was recently appointed to study the potential impact of development along the U.S.

31 freeway corridor. "We want to watch it very closely," Vaughn said. "We don't want to see it become another M-139." While new business is expected, the township wants to evaluate each request to build in light of the township's overall development plan, Vaughn added. "Whatever development there is, we want to make sure it's planned so we don't have a hodgepodge. My guess is there may be some pockets of development Napier to join 1-196, the preferred alignment now takes the new freeway west to join 1-94 at Business Loop 94.

A revised environmental impact statement on that proposal is being completed, and a public meeting will be scheduled in the fall, MDOT said. No matter which route is chosen, the road is to be done by 2006, Polasek said. Big contracts Lucio Ramos, resident engineer at MDOT's Coloma office, scrutinizes the progress of contractors who are building the freeway from Naomi Road to Napier. Concrete paving work on the segment started in early August. "We are very satisfied with the quality of the work," said Ramos, who noted the project is on schedule.

Paving of Rochester, is doing the concrete paving from Old U.S. 31 to Napier, a $15.5 million contract that includes road markings and signs. D.J. McQuestion Sons, Le Roy, is under a two-year contract to grade about four miles of the new freeway from Naomi Road to Napier. The company will be paid $30 million for the work, which includes the construction of seven bridges.

The section of the road now being built will have interchanges at Old 31 north of Berrien Springs, and at Tabor Road, Pipestone Road and Napier. In conjunction, with the project, MDOT and the Berrien County Road Commission are working together to realign, straighten and widen Pipestone from the new interchange to Nickerson Road. The project is being done to improve traffic flow into the Twin Cities. The county road commission's part of the project is done, and the MDOT section is to be completed this year. Much of the funding for the $3,7 million road commission portion was provided as a loan from the Twin Cities Area Transportation Study.

TwinCATS also has funded improvement of other local roads in anticipation of the project, and MDOT paid the cost of widening Napier Avenue to five lanes in the vicinity of the new US. 31 interchange. What wKI change Berrien County Planning Director Dennis Schuh said the new highway's impact will be felt in many ways, and local governments have invested a lot drop until the freeway opens to Napier or is completed. "We waited a long time for this, and it's high 'time to get it completed," Gast said. "The traffic being carried on Old 31 and M-63 is getting quite critical." U.S.

Rep. Fred Upton, who has worked for years to secure funding for the freeway, said the project is important to economic development efforts. "Communities that have interstate highways, those are the ones that see economic growth," Upton said. Secondly, the freeway will replace a road that has a high rate of crashes, he said. One factor that contributed to the construction delay, Upton said, was local squabbling over where to build the freeway.

During the 1970s, area residents and local governments were often at odds over routing, particularly the choice of building to the east or west of Berrien Springs. "We were at the bottom of the priority list because we didn't get the act together locally," Upton said. "That cost us 20 years." Until 1987, Michigan was getting shortchanged on its return of federal revenue for roads, That year, Upton worked to amend the highway bill to increase the minimum return for states from 75 percent to 90 percent of matches for tax dollars sent to Washington. "That is billions of dollars for Michigan that would have gone to other states "he said. John Polasek, system manager for MDOT's Southwest Region in Kalamazoo, said finding ways to pay the huge cost of new freeway construction always has been a challenge.

The final section of the new U.S. 31, from Napier Avenue north, will require $30 million, a sum that MDOT has agreed to spend. Funding for new roads got even more scarce in recent years when the state decided to dedicate 90-95 percent of its available money to preserve die existing road and bridge network. Also, design and engineering work can take years, with extensive studies of a road's potential impact on the environment, historical landmarks and other matters. "We're spending "money on this thing every year," said Polasek.

"But it isn't the big chunks of $100 million at a time." An environmental concern brought the project to a near stop in 1991 when an endangered butterfly, the 9.5-mile leg will be the first new section of U.S. 31 in Southwest Michigan since 1992, when a 9.1-mile sectipn from Walton Road near Buchanan to the current end point north of Berrien Springs opened. For Stacey, the date can't come too soon. "The way it's gone, I never figured it would be finished in my lifetime. I'm elated that it's going to be," said Stacey, who once launched a bumper sticker campaign to try to embarrass the state into pumping more money into the project when it 'State Sen.

Harry Gast said a ation in funding levels is a key reason the 28-mile freeway is being built in fits and starts. States get the bulk of funding for freeways from the federal government under a formula. The new freeway is important to the future of Southwest Michigan, Gast said, but the state government has not felt a lot of pressure to finish it. "I think they put money into it when they had money, but they didn't put it on a crash schedule" the St. Joseph Republican said.

"It's a little like Interstate 131 from Cadillac north (which has yet to be completed)." Gast said he recalls serious discussions when he was Lincoln Township supervisor in the-J 960s about building a freeway to replace U.S. 31 in Berrien County. Historically, the accident rate is high on Old 31, a two-lane road, which carries everything from passenger cars to heavy trucks and local farm traffic as it winds from Niles through Berrien Springs to the Twin Cities. The number of deaths and injuries was a major reason for the state's decision to invest millions of dollars to relocate the route. Traffic volume remains high, and state officials say it will probably not Don Campbell H-P staff THE NAPIER AVENUE INTERCHANGE for new U.S.

31 will be the northern end point of the freeway until the Michigan Department of Transportation decides the route for the final leg, either to Interstate 1 98 as originally planned, or west to Interstate 94. This view looks south toward the Napier interchange, which is east of Lake Michigan College In Benton Township. MDOT got the go-ahead to build across the fen area. But die permission came with some expensive strings, among them building untried "pieriess" bridges over the wetland. The potential environmental threat and high cost of building over the fen, and re-engineering the interchange with 1-196, prompted MDOT to reconsider the original alignment', The agency is now evaluating a proposal to change the final section of the freeway.

Instead of going north from Mitchell's satyr, was found living in wetlands along Blue Creek in Benton Township. The unusual fen area was directly on the approved route of the freeway north of Napier Avenue. The butterfly was not found in time for inclusion in the state's environmental impact statement for the project, which was approved in 1981. After negotiations with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the state Department of Natural Resources, 1..