By Dennis Volkert
Sturgis City Commission approved awarding a contract for the community’s 2025 street rehabilitation project to Rieth-Riley Construction Company of Kalamazoo.
As part of the project, the board also approved additional funding to modify the treatment option for Cornelia Street, West Electric and South Electric, and to add Mortimer Avenue to the list of streets.
At the commission’s Sept. 24 meeting, city engineer Barry Cox outlined details about the project, prior to board consideration.
On Sept. 15, the city received three bids for the street rehabilitation submitted by Rieth-Riley in the amount of $673,228. The engineer’s estimate for the designed project was $878,000.
Projects are being funded by the major street fund ($327,342) and local street fund ($526,000) in the fiscal year 2025-26 budget.
Ten streets, involving 20 road segments, are included in the project.
Additional roads involved in the rehabilitation plan, in addition to Cornelia, Electric Court and Mortimer segments: Clay, Fawn River, Grand, Grove, Market, Prairie and South Nottawa.
Work on four segments, Cornelia, South and West Electric, and North Clay, is expected to be completed this fall, Cox said. Additional streets may be finished by the end of the year, depending on the contractor’s schedule, he said.
Various segments will receive specific treatment based on pavement profiles and asphalt layer thicknesses. Some segments will require ADA ramp upgrades, spot curb removal and replacement and adjustment of water valves and manhole castings.
Three street segments, West Electric, South Electric and Cornelia, had an intermediate asphalt layer under the surface asphalt identified as undesirable during replacement of the lead service line, after the project was designed.
Officials proposed modifying the treatment plan to remove that asphalt layer and place a new layer. Cost increase to complete the additional work is estimated at $48,000, based on Rieth-Riley’s bid.
In addition, Mortimer Avenue had been intended as part of the 2025 project, but was dropped due to overall project expense, based on the engineer’s estimate. Since then, city staff requested to add Mortimer back into the project, for an additional $48,000.
The bid was reviewed and references checked by Fleis and Vandenbrink for Rieth-Riley Construction Company. Based on the review, F&V believes Rieth-Riley is capable of constructing the project and is recommending the bid, officials said.
Total budget for street resurfacing included design work for a 2026 project in the amount of $32,0000. Considering the project and revised estimates for design engineering, a budget amendment was proposed. Both the major and local funds have sufficient balances to support the work, Cox said.
