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Commissioners accept lower bids for Community Crossings, approve unofficial detour for SR 159
Summary
Vigo County approved awards for Community Crossings 2025‑1 projects after bids came in below estimate and authorized an unofficial local detour for State Road 159 while INDOT replaces a culvert.
The Vigo County Board of Commissioners approved awards for the Community Crossings 2025‑1 paving projects after bids came in about $168,926 under the county's estimate, and they authorized an unofficial local detour for State Road 159 while the Indiana Department of Transportation replaces a culvert.
County Engineer Larry Robbins told the board bids for five road segments (Oregon Church, Flasher, Gannon, Howe and Cusick) totaled $1,330,673 compared with a rough estimate of $1,500,000, about $168,926 below the estimate. Robbins said the completed work represents roughly 11.12 miles of paving and that currently only about $750,000 of roads were ready to bid; the county expects to apply the remainder of its Community Crossings allocation to the Morris Street Bridge project in July.
Robbins also said he had been in discussions with INDOT about an unofficial local detour for work on State Road 159 north of French where INDOT will replace a culvert. The proposed local detour route uses French Drive West to Darby/Daughtry Street back to SR 159; both connecting roads are gravel and the county would likely need to grade them temporarily. Robbins told the board INDOT indicated it would cover any post‑work road improvements.
Robbins said the county has had mixed results with unofficial detours in the past: some previous long closures caused motorists to find alternate routes and damage rural roads that INDOT initially declined to repair, and the county has negotiated post‑closure fixes in other cases.
Commissioners also discussed other INDOT projects: resurfacing work on State Road 150 north of West Terre Haute, continued delay on Cherry and Ohio Street work because of I‑70 detour needs, and a bridge reconstruction on County Road 246 that had been pushed from a superstructure replacement to full reconstruction. The board heard that Hasselburger (road) is closed due to Duke Energy tree work and that closure may last much of the year.
After discussion the board voted by voice to approve the bid awards and to authorize the county engineer to send a letter to INDOT supporting the proposed unofficial local detour for SR 159. No roll‑call vote was recorded in the minutes quoted at the meeting.
