Governor Snyder: Road Lockout Is Over

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More than 150 stalled road projects across Michigan will resume because road builders have agreed to end a lockout of a union of heavy equipment operators. Governor Snyder announced the end of the labor impasse Thursday. He says the Michigan Infrastructure & Transportation Association is ending the more than three-week long lockout of Operating Engineers Local 324, which started September 4 after the union sought to negotiate new contracts with contractors individually rather than through MITA. Union members will report to work immediately, and the priority will be for projects that can be finished before the arrival of winter weather. Snyder met with both sides earlier this week and says the contractors and union will use professional mediation through the winter to help them negotiate a new contract. The state had been considering activating the National Guard to handle some of the work.

Here are the projects in Berrien County that were shut down according to the Berrien County Road Department:

Red Arrow Highway – City of Bridgman to Browntown Road, Lake Township
Territorial Road – Millburg to Blue Creek Bridge, Benton Township
Harbert Road – Red Arrow Highway to Three Oaks Road, Chikaming Township
Crystal Avenue – Napier Avenue to Empire Road, Benton Township
Higman Park Hill 1 & Hill 2, Benton Township
Niles Buchanan Road – Paver Patch at Interchange, Niles Township

The Associated Press contributed to this report.