Cass County advances Community Crossings application work and approves bridge replacement contract

Cass County Commissioners authorized two highway-related agreements and took personnel action during the meeting.

Highway Superintendent Jeff Smith described an agreement with Lochmuller Group to produce a detailed cost estimate for a Community Crossings grant application. The initial cost for the estimate already submitted with the grant application is $1,500; if the county wins the grant, the agreement allows up to $10,275 for preparing bid plans, documents, bid services and utility coordination. The proposed project covers roughly 5.25 miles of County Road 900 North in the northwest part of the county and would connect to this year’s CCMG work and local reconstruction at the east end of the corridor.

Commissioners also approved proceeding with Milestone under the county’s annual bid for a bridge replacement project on Bridge Number 6 on 1050 West in Boone Township. Smith said the replacement would carry an HS-20 rating (a standard highway rating) — "at least 40 ton rating," he said in answer to a question about tonnage.

Smith reported multiple paving and overlay projects in progress, including a 17-mile triple chip-seal operation in the solar area and upcoming Community Crossings paving segments across several townships. The board granted permission to fill a full-time driver vacancy after Tim Berkshire’s retirement.