Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commissioners approve two road reclassifications and three bridge repair contracts
Summary
Hancock County Commissioners voted July 7 to reclassify two county roads and to approve three LPA bridge contracts totaling up to $571,300 for preventative maintenance and design services.
Hancock County Commissioners on July 7 approved two roadway reclassifications and three locally-administered (LPA) bridge contracts, actions the county said will help match projects to grant programs and keep several bridge repairs on schedule.
Commissioner (speaker 3) moved to reclassify County Road Frank W. Marks (from County Road 600 West to the end) from a local road to a minor collector; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. The board separately approved reclassification of County Road 700 West (from County Road 100 North to County Road 200 North) to a major collector.
The board then approved three LPA contracts presented by county infrastructure staff (County highway/infrastructure official, speaker 2). The first, LPA contract #2501393, covers preventative maintenance for the County Road 400 South bridge over Brandywine Creek for an amount not to exceed $187,600. The second, LPA contract #250-1391 with USI Consultants Inc., funds rehabilitation work for County Road 300 West over Little Sugar Creek for an amount not to exceed $175,700. The third, LPA contract #251390 with BS Engineering, covers PE design services for rehabilitation of Bridge #118 on Fortville Pike over Sugar Creek for an amount not to exceed $208,000. Commissioner (speaker 3) moved approval of each contract; each motion was seconded and carried by voice vote.
County highway/infrastructure official (speaker 2) said upgrading roadway classifications ‘‘helps with our grant writing process’’ and that reclassifying roads can make projects more competitive for outside funding. The official also warned that environmental and cultural-resource review processes have grown more complex: "there's a lot of super regulatory policy... That inefficiency costs us time so the public doesn't get to use our projects on time," he said, adding he will pursue conversations with state legislators and agency staff to seek streamlined review where possible.
Officials said the bridge work is part of an active capital program that next year will include 12 active projects, about 50 miles of paving, and multiple chip-seal and crack-seal projects. The three approved contracts together carry not-to-exceed totals that sum to $571,300.
The actions were procedural approvals; no public hearing was recorded on the contracts and all motions carried on voice votes. The county noted the LPA numbers in the meeting packet and asked that signed contracts be filed with county staff as presented.
