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County engineer flags road-widening, bridge and sidewalk actions tied to Jasper wastewater and INDOT projects
Summary
DuBois County engineer updated commissioners on Portersville Road widening tied to a city of Jasper wastewater project, a potential permanent closure of County Road 250 at Route 56, a planned Lady Bridge rehabilitation estimated at about $700,000, and the community crossings grant status.
DuBois County's engineer briefed commissioners Aug. 4 on several transportation projects that could affect local traffic and budgets, including discussions with the city of Jasper about widening Portersville Road to support a proposed wastewater treatment plant and a possible permanent closure of a short segment of County Road 250 in Ireland as part of an INDOT sidewalk project.
Portersville Road and Jasper wastewater: The city of Jasper has proposed a wastewater treatment plant near the intersection of Portersville Road and 500 North and has asked whether the county has concerns about a small widening (the engineer said the request is for roughly a foot on one side and two feet on the other across an about 50-foot-long section). The engineer said the city would accept responsibility for associated costs and that any county approvals or right-of-way work would be brought to the board for formal action if needed.
County Road 250 closure discussion: INDOT and the project designer (HWC Engineering) have discussed incorporating a short (about 100'200 feet, per staff estimate) section of County Road 250 into a sidewalk project on State Road 56; the county engineer said the segment's skewed intersection with State Road 56 and the lack of a turn lane create safety concerns for large trucks and school traffic. The engineer said he would evaluate traffic and semi-turning maneuvers, consider possible intersection widening at the adjacent intersection, and seek public input before making a formal recommendation.
Bridges and grants: The engineer said plans for Lady Bridge No. 78 (Division Road over the Potomac River) are in development with consultant American StructurePoint; a preliminary construction estimate is in the $700,000 range. He described the work as a deck rehabilitation that preserves existing piers and foundations and would be let later this year for construction next year. The Community Crossings matching grant program was also discussed; staff noted the program's maximum had been lowered from $1.5 million to $1.0 million for a second round and said the county would examine eligibility for additional grant funding.
Other items: The engineer reported that Calabar is paving Old Road 45 and 600 North this week and will return to finish projects in September'October; he also reported progress on Club Road and smaller bridge/box-culvert projects and said a meeting with Cross Mine solar project managers is scheduled for Aug. 19 to coordinate road-use expectations and agreements.
Ending: The engineer said he would return to the board with specific recommendations if the county needs to cooperate on right-of-way or closure items and that public outreach would precede any permanent closures.
