Bridge 142 work delayed by rains; county share around $150,000 for $600,000 project, engineer says

County Engineer Nate reported that heavy rains in the region pushed back Bridge 142 work; the contractor will begin on Aug. 24 and the project will overlap with other nearby bridge work.

Nate described the planned repairs—raising outside beams, cutting off beam ends at abutments, repouring approach concrete and changing joint design to reduce debris-related joint wear from horse-drawn buggies and agricultural traffic. "It's going to be about two months," Nate said when the board asked about the project duration; he added that the contract includes up to a 75-day window because of a recent addendum from contractor questions.

Nate estimated the total project at about $600,000 and said the county share is roughly 20%, or about $150,000, with the remainder paid from a Community Crossings grant. He and other staff also briefed the board on widespread flooding in parts of Indiana and emphasized safety: during flood events crews have closed roads with gates and posted notices to residents.

The board asked staff to notify affected schools and publish closure notices as the construction start date approaches; staff will also coordinate log-jam removal and debris clearing at priority sites once waters recede.