County closures overlap ongoing SR 236 work in Russell Township

Tuesday, September 4, 2018

RUSSELLVILLE — As if its extreme northwest location didn’t make Russellville seem remote enough from the rest of the county, three simultaneous road closures are making it worse.

The scheduled start date of two county projects, coupled with a state project three weeks past deadline has three routes to the town in Russell Township closed this week.

On Tuesday, the Putnam County Highway Department closed Bridge 4 on County Road 425 East next to Heritage Landfill, as well as Bridge 15 on the Morton-Russellville Road.

State Road 236 has already been closed in the area since March for a deck replacement and rehabilitation on the bridge over Big Raccoon Creek, located just over one mile west of U.S. 231.

This means that for at least three or four days, three routes to Russellville from the east will be closed.

The county highway department had already moved back the start of the Bridge 15 project because of the closure of SR 236. However, that $1.9 million state project, which is being overseen by White Construction, was originally set for completion by Aug. 15.

With that project now three weeks overdue, the county highway had little choice but to start on its own projects.

During Monday’s Putnam County Commissioners meeting, County Highway Supervisor Mike Ricketts assured the commissioners that there remain other routes to Russellville.

“There’s more than one road,” Ricketts said, pointing out that there is no weight restriction on the road past Hebron Cemetery (640 West) or County Line Road (900 West).

In the end, it should only be for this week, as the Indiana Department of Transportation has said the 236 project will be complete by Friday.

Commissioner David Berry said White Construction is being fined $2,500 for each day the project is past due.

“So they have incentive to finish it,” Berry said.

Work on Bridge 4 has 425 West closed from 1350 North to SR 236 with an anticipated reopening of Nov. 2.

Shutt-Lookabill Co., Indianapolis, is performing the overlay work on Bridge 15, the longest structure maintained by the Putnam County Highway Department.

The work has 625 West (Morton-Russellville Road) closed from 500 West to 900 North, with an anticipated reopening date of Nov. 2.

Respond to this story

Posting a comment requires free registration: