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Highway department outlines bridge projects, sign replacement and urges updated thoroughfare plan as LEAP District grows
Summary
Boone County's highway superintendent summarized 2024 work, federal and state-funded bridge projects awarded for 2025, a large sign-replacement effort and urged a county thoroughfare plan update to address development in and around the LEAP District.
Boone CountyHighway Department presented its annual report to the county council, highlighting bridge and road preservation projects, a large sign-replacement program and the need to update the countythoroughfare plan in light of accelerating development.
The department reported multiple federal- and state-funded awards for bridge replacement and rehabilitation, including an expected federally funded replacement for Bridge 401 on County Road 300 South and Bridge 162 in the countysouth-central area. Community Crossings awards funded rehabilitation for other bridges, and staff said federal funds were leveraged to increase project scope while limiting local construction costs.
Significant 2025 projects include replacement of approximately 3,500 traffic signs identified as failing retroreflectivity tests; the department told the council that INDOT covered 90% of construction costs for the sign project as a safety initiative and that local obligations are primarily for design and construction inspection.
Highway superintendent (presenter) briefed councilmembers on road-safety work that reconstructed two curves on County Road 900 South east of Moore Road; after super-elevating the curves and adding high-friction surface treatment, the department reported that crashes there fell from about 15 per year across the two curves to just three over a four-year span.
The department urged an updated thoroughfare plan and coordinated public engagement to prepare for major development in the LEAP District and associated utility and roadwork. The presenter explained that updating the thoroughfare plan could take eight to ten months depending on public engagement and recommended integrating the plan with the comprehensive-plan update so road needs are assessed in advance of project approvals.
Councilmembers asked about bond-funded projects from a 2020 infrastructure bond program (about $5.3 million), upcoming maintenance and whether previously funded bridge and small-structure projects had been completed; staff said the bond-funded projects had been completed and that some bond debt would roll off in 2025 and may need renewal if continued capital funding is desired.
