Zeeland Township trustees approve bid for new shared-use path

Zeeland Township trustees Tuesday, Aug. 19, approved a $317,131 bid for a new shared-use path.

The three-quarter-mile stretch — along Adams Street between 76th Avenue and Esker Creek — will connect with existing bike paths already in place.

A grant the township received from the Michigan Department of Transportation will pay 80 percent of the cost, with the remainder to be paid for with township funds.

The bid was awarded to Hopkins-based Brenner Excavating Inc., which submitted the lowest of 17 bids received by the township, Township Supervisor Glenn Nykamp said.

Construction is slated to begin the week after Labor Day, with a projected completion date of Nov. 1.

“It’ll be nice to get that done,” said Trustee Corey Compagner.

The new stretch of path will provid safer passage for cyclists and pedestrians from 76th Avenue to Drenthe Grove on 64th Avenue.

A stretch of path from the creek to 64th was recently completed at a cost of $154,298, which exceeded the original project budget of $148,034, but included extras not originally planned, including added parking for the Drenthe fire station, additional fire hydrants and bridge handrails, Nykamp said.