Tippecanoe County board approves construction for County Road 500 East reconstruction

The Tippecanoe County Drainage Board voted to grant construction approval for the County Road 500 East reconstruction project per the work memo dated 03/11/2025.

The project will reconstruct County Road 500 East from U.S. 52 north to County Road 350 and include intersection improvements at County Road 350 — adding a northbound through-to-right movement and improving intersection geometry. County Road 400 South will receive resurfacing only; no off‑pavement work is planned there. Dan, the project representative, said, “we are reconstructing the road from US 52 up to County Road 350,” and described the intersection and resurfacing scope.

A portion of the project drains to the Elliott regulated drain. County staff and project reviewers confirmed the project splits watershed flows: roughly the southern two-thirds drain to the J. Kirkpatrick watershed and the northern third to the Elliott regulated drain. Staff noted the Elliott subsurface tile on the east side of the road is a 15‑inch tile that was rerouted around a concrete plant about 15–20 years ago; plan submittals showed either a 15‑inch or an 18‑inch tile under the roadway, and reviewers indicated either size would be acceptable. Burke and county reviewers confirmed the existing natural watershed boundary will be maintained so that no additional watershed area is routed into the Elliott system.

The motion to grant construction approval was made during the meeting and passed by voice vote; no roll‑call tally was recorded in the transcript. The board indicated there were no public comments on the project during the meeting.

County staff said they are available to answer further technical questions as plan details are finalized; work will proceed subject to the county’s standard permitting and construction oversight processes.