01/14/14 Construction will begin this spring on a 33-mile expansion of the St. Joe Valley Metronet’s high-speed, high-capacity, dark fiber broadband network into Marshall County.
Monday morning the Marshall County Council approved the final piece of public financing of the $3 million project which will extend Metronet from South Bend into Plymouth. The Council approved an additional appropriation of $150,000 from Cum Cap Development and $350,000 from the Rainy Day Fund.
County Auditor Penny Lukenbill recommended the establishment of a new fund for the Metronet so they can have a tracking device for revenue and expenditures for the project.
Installation of underground conduit should begin with the start of the spring construction season and the first subscribers should be connected this fall. The expansion route begins on the south side of South Bend, near Michigan Street and Ireland Road, follows the current U.S. 31 to Michigan Road in Marshall County, and then into and around Plymouth. St. Joseph County appropriated $250,000; the City of Plymouth $1.3 million; and Marshall County $500,000 to help pay for installing the underground conduit. Metronet will spend around $900,000 to install fiber optic cable.
