The Capital Improvement Board on Wednesday approved multiple funding allocations and change orders totaling several hundred thousand dollars for street, bridge and downtown infrastructure projects in Hammond.

The board voted 7-0 to approve construction engineering for Hohman Avenue Reconstruction Phase 2 with American Structure Point for $493,685.37, a federal-aid project, and approved smaller change orders and contracts including resurfacing, patching and a balancing change order for the Little Calumet River pedestrian bridge.

The Hohman Avenue construction engineering contract was described during the meeting as a federal-aid project that requires a higher level of effort and oversight than locally funded work. "This is a federal aid project," the Chair said while explaining the scope of construction engineering and observation included in the contract.

Other approvals included:

- Funding Allocation No. 285: Change orders No. 1 and 2 for 160 Fifth Street and State Line improvements (carry of construction) for $20,284.65; change order No. 1 included edge grooving to add a rumble-strip warning along the edge of travel lanes and No. 2 balanced quantities to actuals.

- Funding Allocation No. 286: A road safety audit at the Hohman and Gosselin intersection with the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission for $1,806. The board discussed that the city's comprehensive safety plan ranked that intersection seventh for severe crashes and that the city had reapplied after prior-year projects were not selected.

- Funding Allocation No. 288: An evaluation of the electrical system at Dan Raven Plaza by Hawk Enterprises for $6,643.14 to document problems and support an RFP; board members said downtown businesses identified the plaza's electrical feed as being in poor condition after a recent downtown event.

- Funding Allocation No. 289: Pavement patching with Site Services for $17,925 to repair settlement on 120 First Street between Lake Avenue and Atchison.

- Funding Allocation No. 290: A change order for Hohman Avenue Reconstruction Phase 2 (Milestone Contractors LP) for a $3,210 local match to upsize a water service to St. Joseph's Church from the originally planned 2-inch to a 4-inch service and gate valve the water department requires; the board said NIRPC and INDOT would cover the 80% match.

- Funding Allocation No. 291: A stamped-concrete parkway change on Fayette Street by HCH3 for $10,780, approved in lieu of grass at the property owner's request.

- Funding Allocation No. 291 (separate item): Columbia Avenue resurfacing with Milestone Contractors LP for $33,366; the board said additional costs arose from permitting and flagging delays while coordinating a Norfolk Southern crossing near May Street.

- Funding Allocation No. 293: Change Order No. 2 for the Little Calumet River pedestrian bridge with Carrup Construction (listed in the packet as the contractor) for $36,833.58, a balancing change order based on actual quantities.

Each motion to approve the items above carried unanimously with a roll-call vote of 7 in favor and no dissent. Motions were moved and seconded by various commissioners and council members; for example, the Hohman Avenue construction engineering contract was moved by Councilman Salinas and seconded by Commissioner Prieto.

The board's public comment period included unrelated remarks and no substantive public objections to the project approvals. With the approvals, staff were authorized to proceed with the described contracts and change orders, subject to the usual conditions and external permits (for example, a Norfolk Southern permit for the Columbia project and federal-aid requirements for Hohman Avenue).