Railroad company delays to Bridge 276 replacement continue

Though ready to be destroyed for several months, Bridge 276 in Madison Township remains standing over CSX Railroad.

Banner Graphic/JARED JERNAGAN

Having spent months frustrated from a distance at ongoing delays to a local bridge replacement project, the Putnam County Commissioners got to see them in real time on Monday morning.

Engineering firm Clark Dietz and contractor White Construction have been telling County Engineer Jim Peck for months that they were ready to tear out the old bridge, but delays from CSX Railroad kept that from happening.

At issue is the need for a flagger on the two tracks that run underneath the 115-year-old structure that carries County Road 400 West (Saddle Club Road) over the railroad bed in Madison Township.

White Construction representative Bill Hill reported that his company has been waiting on a flagger for more than two months, being told week after week that it would be coming the next week.

This morning came another delay.

“We’re still waiting on a flagger this morning,” Hill said. “They were supposed to be here at 7 this morning.

“We’ve had a $30,000 crane sitting there since June.”

Peck reported that, should things go smoothly, the new bridge itself could be installed by the end of this year but necessary stabilization work won’t be complete before winter sets in.

The closure was originally slated to last from March until September. At this point, Peck said it’s looking like it could be next April before it is reopened.

To try and make up for lost time, construction crews plan to work six-day weeks for the remainder of the year, but this will be coordinated with the adjacent 3 Fat Labs Wedding & Event Barn to ensure that no weddings or other special events are disturbed by the noise of construction.

These concerns are besides the fact that motorists must take a circuitous and flood-prone route via Creek Road to reach the venue until construction is complete.

Later in the meeting, with the Commissioners having moved on to another topic, Kevin Hetrick of Clark Dietz popped back into the meeting to give another update.

The flagger, Hetrick reported, would have to wait until Tuesday, according to CSX. Of course, this was on the heels of an assurance from the railroad company on Sunday evening that a flagger would be there Monday morning.

It was at this point that Commissioner President Rick Woodall wondered aloud at what point the county would begin receiving change orders for price increases from White Construction, such as for having a crew on site Monday with no work to do.

The Commissioners received one other piece of news regarding CSX on Monday, this one regarding temporary closures as CSX performs maintenance on the line that runs from north to south across the county.

Beginning on Monday in the north, each closure was set to last between two and three days, with one following after another as follows:

• County Road 1200 North between County 250 East and County Road 100 East

• 1100 North between 250 East and 100 East

• 900 North between 250 East and 100 East

• 800 North between 250 East and 100 East

• Main Street (Bainbridge) between Bridge Street and Cherry Street

• 425 East between 100 East and 150 East

• 325 East between 50 West and 225 East

• 100 East between 150 North and Range Line Road

• 25 East between 125 North and Tacoma Drive

• U.S. 231 between Elizabeth Street and Shadowlawn Avenue

• Madison Street between Green and Elizabeth

• Jacob Street between Johnson and 125 West

• Liberty Street between Gillespie and Johnson

• Columbia between Gillespie and CR 125 West

• Walnut Street between Gillespie and gravel pit

• Jackson Street between Southern Highway and Cement Plant Road

• 550 South between 75 West and 50 West