Road, Bridges Take Center Stage At Commissioners
It’s a sure sign of spring. Several road and bridge projects in the county were noted at the Kosciusko County Commissioners meeting today.
A $1.8 million project for Old U.S. 30, Warsaw, was approved. Phase IV of the project will be done by Phend & Brown of Milford. The engineer’s estimate was just over $2 million putting the project nearly $270,000 under bid.
Approximately 1 mile of the road will receive work, such as curbs and gutters, drainage and the widening of the road to three lanes. The work is expected to start at the end of April.
Several bridges in the county will receive a facelift. A bridge over Deed’s Creek on CR 225 East, just north of CR 75 North in Warsaw, will be done at a cost of $163,505. Work on the bridge, which includes a new deck, will start in late summer and last a month to 45 days.
Work on a second bridge, located in Syracuse, will be done at a cost of $293,830. That bridge, built in 1976, is located on South Front Street, north of Medusa Street. The bridge will receive new box beams and a new surface for a deck. Work is expected to start sometime after Labor Day. USI has been hired to do the preliminary and final design, permitting, bid documents and construction inspection.
“These are not complete replacements,” said Scott Tilden, county highway superintendent. He added that the work is simply rehabilitation to both bridges.
A portion of SR 13, from south of Pierceton to SR 114, will receive chip and seal this summer. The project is expected to start after July. The statewide project is for “pavement preservation,” said Toni Rae Mayo of INDOT.
Approximately 300 miles of roads in INDOT’s northeast district, including Kosciusko County, will be chip and sealed. “It’s a way to seal the road,” said Mayo. “It keeps it (the road) good for three to five years.”
Mayo also noted that a portion of SR 5 to SR 37 will also receive chip and sealed sometime after July. Also, a bridge widening project will be completed on SR 19 over the Tippecanoe River, south of SR 10, sometime this fall.
Micheal Aylesworth, with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, also addressed the commissioners. He noted, “We are doing well with our environment” and that Indiana is in compliance, as are all the state’s counties.
“We are always improving our air quality,” he said, “as well as our water and land quality.”
Commissioner Ron Truex told Aylesworth, “Your presence in our region helps a lot. We work with you, not against you.”
In other news, the board:
• signed a Tax Increment Finance resolution for TruPointe project in Milford.
• signed the annual operating report for local streets for the county highway department.
The next meeting is at 9 a.m. March 26.