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Porter County bridge updates: Bridge 15 utility checks, accelerated utility review and early-construction dates set
Summary
Staff reported a dead-end gas line at Bridge 15, said utility coordination will be accelerated to meet a May 29 letting, and outlined early-start and relocation dates (Feb. 2 start, Feb. 9 gas work, March relocation, April 1 early-contract start for some work). One slide referenced an August 2022 date that appears inconsistent with other schedule items.
County bridge-project staff reported updates and tentative schedules for several bridge projects at the January meeting, including a confirmation of a dead-end gas line at Bridge 15 and steps to accelerate utility coordination to keep projects on track.
Staff said crews confirmed the gas line at Bridge 15 was dead-ended and that officials do not anticipate utility conflicts that would prevent a Feb. 2 first day of work. The team held a utility coordination meeting with involved utilities and said it will accelerate the usual 75–90 day utility review to meet a planned May 29 letting.
“We did confirm [the gas line] and we don’t anticipate utility conflicts,” a bridge project staff member said while describing the utility coordination and right-of-entry work the county will pursue on the west side of the bridge to relocate utility holes ahead of utility relocation.
Staff added that some overhead and force-main relocation work was slowed by cold weather but that pre-construction meetings have taken place. Gas work related to one segment was scheduled for Feb. 9 and staff said it expects a March relocation for the force-main portion; for some contracts the team anticipates an early-contract start around April 1.
During discussion staff referenced several completion and contract dates for different bridges: a July completion mentioned on a slide, a Sept. 1 contract completion date, and one slide that said "August 7, 2022." That latter date appears inconsistent with other schedules discussed in the meeting and may be a transcription or slide error; staff did not provide a clarifying year on the record.
Staff said they circulate schedule slides and updates to subdivision HOA contacts and noted that a member of the public had posted concerns on social media but had not attended the meeting to present them.
No formal votes specific to the bridge updates were recorded; staff said they will proceed with right-of-entry requests, utility relocation coordination and the planned bidding and construction milestones.
