Commissioners approve roundabout voucher, highway office details $459,000 lane-mile funds and bridge closure

The Daviess County Commissioners unanimously approved LPA claim Voucher #18 (DES #2301640) for preliminary engineering on the US 50 roundabout, a bill of $11,835.63 that Chris Winkler said is reimbursable at 90 percent under the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP), reducing the county’s outlay to about $1,183.56 in advance with an expected reimbursement of $10,652.07.

Winkler told the board the county received a Lane Mile Direct Distribution of about $459,000 from the state. He said that amount affects eligibility for the Community Crossings Matching Grant (CCMG), a program with awards up to $1,000,000, and that Daviess County may not be eligible for the full award this round; he said the county might reasonably expect a partial share. He also reported Bridge #176 (700 East between 400 North and 500 North) went under contract to CLR Incorporated, work began July 6, and the road will be closed for about two months while crews complete the project. Paving operations are planned to begin in September and county chip-seal operations are scheduled to start in August.

Winkler said the highway department is also updating Americans with Disabilities Act and Title VI documents and initiating a Pavement Surface Evaluation and Rating (Paser) for county roads to support asset management and federal funding compliance. Commissioners approved the voucher and heard no objections to the schedule or compliance work.