County looks at major paving program, bridge replacements
GOSHEN — Millions of dollars in road and bridge projects were advanced Monday by the county commissioners.
The Elkhart County Board of Commissioners passed appropriations for several highway projects. They include the annual summer paving program which is partially paid by Community Crossings Matching Grant funds.
Kyle Wagner, transportation manager for the Elkhart County Highway Department, said the county received its full $1.5 million ask to help pave a list of road segments amounting to more than 20 miles. The board approved additional appropriations totaling $3.7 million to cover the remaining difference represented by paving, chip and seal and other road maintenance.
It's a gap that Commissioner Suzie Weirick expects to widen thanks to actions by state lawmakers.
'I'd like to take half a second to make a little commentary about the new state funding, on road funding, and the impacts between that and Senate Bill 1, and why we're going to see these numbers go up that we're covering,' she said.
Roads included in the program include C.R. 6 between C.Rs. 9 and 11, C.R. 13 between C.Rs. 18 and 16, C.R. 46 from S.R. 19 to C.R. 11, C.R. 28 between C.Rs. 13 and 11 and C.R. 7 between C.Rs. 52 and 46 and between C.Rs. 38 and 36. A segment of C.R. 111 will be paved between C.R. 20 and Shaffer Avenue, C.R. 24 between S.R. 15 and C.R. 27, and sections of C.R. 11 will be paved between C.Rs. 48 and 46 and between C.R. 11N and C.R. 11S.
C.R. 46 will be paved between S.R. 19 and C.R. 1, C.R. 48 between C.Rs. 11 and 13, C.R. 146 from C.R. 29 to C.R. 31, and C.R. 50 between C.Rs. 29 and 31. Both the Forest Lakes Drive and Timber Ridge Drive subdivisions will be repaved, as well as Clayton Street between Shaffer Avenue and the cul-de-sac.
The plan also calls for bridge deck resurfacing for several bridges. They include Bridge No. 183, on C.R. 43 between C.R. 16 and U.S. 20, No. 206, on C.R. 33 between C.Rs. 38 and 40, No. 210, on C.R. 10 between C.Rs. 138 and 38, and No. 351, on C.R. 43 between C.Rs. 44 and 46.
The paving project was awarded in May to Rieth-Riley Construction Co. In addition, the road striping program was awarded to C.E. Hughes Milling Inc., at $782,393, and the wedging program, to repair horseshoe damage to county roads, was awarded to Niblock Excavating for $575,422.
Monday's actions also included rehabilitation projects for Bridge No. 332, which takes C.R. 142 over the Elkhart River in New Paris, and Bridge 233, which carries C.R. 36 over Yellow Creek in the Southwest community.
The board voted to put the replacement of the Bridge 332 deck out for bids. The county closed the bridge between C.Rs. 29 and 42 last summer to assess its condition, then restricted it to westbound traffic after a concrete box beam was found to be deteriorated.
The actual costs are unknown until bids come in, but the commissioners voted last month to appropriate $1.4 million for construction, right of way purchases and related costs. Another $700,000 will be borrowed from the Major Moves fund and repaid using tax increment finance district money.
The replacement of Bridge 233, which is located between C.R. 9 and C.R. 11, is largely federally funded.
'It is an 80-20 match, federally funded. The construction estimate is $1.6 million, with $900,00 in federal aid and $700,000 local,' Wagner said. 'And then for the construction inspection, it is $300,000 for the project and 40 percent will be reimbursed with federal funds.'
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