▁previous ▁" no - build ▁decision " ▁was ▁res c ind ed ▁in ▁April ▁ 2 0 0 6 . ▁ ▁MD OT ▁has ▁begun ▁a ▁project ▁to ▁upgrade ▁a ▁ ▁segment ▁of ▁US   1 3 1 ▁in ▁St . ▁Joseph ▁County , ▁home ▁of ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁dangerous ▁road way ▁sections ▁in ▁South west ▁Michigan ▁for ▁auto ▁crashes . ▁The ▁final ▁environmental ▁impact ▁statement ▁for ▁the ▁project ▁was ▁published ▁in ▁mid - 2 0 0 8 ▁and ▁the ▁preferred ▁alternative ▁consists ▁of ▁a ▁two - lane ▁road ▁by pass ing ▁the ▁village ▁of ▁Const antine . ▁The ▁new ▁highway ▁would ▁maintain ▁access ▁to ▁local ▁roads ▁via ▁at - grade ▁inter sections , ▁and ▁the ▁department ▁would ▁maintain ▁juris diction ▁of ▁the ▁old ▁route ▁through ▁town . ▁MD OT ▁has ▁stated ▁that ▁present ▁traffic ▁dem ands ▁do ▁not ▁war rant ▁the ▁cost ▁of ▁a ▁full ▁fre ew ay ▁facility ▁on ▁a ▁new ▁alignment ▁from ▁the ▁Indiana ▁T oll ▁Road ▁to ▁north ▁of ▁Three ▁R ivers , ▁stating ▁that ▁such ▁a ▁project ▁would ▁cost ▁over ▁$ 3 0 0   mill ion ▁( equ ivalent ▁to ▁$ ▁in ▁) ▁to ▁build . ▁Const ruction ▁plans ▁were ▁placed ▁on ▁hold ▁after ▁an ▁announ cement ▁in ▁June ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁as ▁various ▁propos als ▁around ▁the ▁state , ▁including ▁the ▁Const antine ▁by pass , ▁were ▁sh el ved ▁until ▁fund ing ▁issues ▁could ▁be ▁resolved . ▁In ▁total , ▁ 1 3 7   road ▁and ▁bridge ▁projects ▁total ing ▁$