Commissioners sign commitment letters on federal aid projects

Dunbar Bridge

In trying to address the aging highway infrastructure locally, the Putnam County Commissioners recently signed letters of intent on several federal aid projects.

In doing so, the county committed to spending more than $2.5 million on projects ranging from a covered bridge replacement to a curve correction on Manhattan Road to updating the county road sign inventory.

The commissioners also approved moving forward with a plan to explore what’s next for some local bridges that are already out of service or nearing the end of their lifespan.

All of the applications are due by Dec. 1, but County Engineer Jim Peck expressed his desire to have them turned in to the Indiana Department of Transportation by Nov. 10.

First on the list was Dunbar Bridge, the covered bridge northwest of Greencastle for which the county applied last year for federal aid on a $6.8 million restoration and bypass project.

That project, of which federal funds administered by INDOT were set to pay 80 percent, was denied by the state when the county declined to pick up all of the cost of engineering and right-of-way acquisition.

This time around, the county is prepared to pay 100 percent of those costs and 80 percent of the remainder — including utility relocation, construction and inspection — a grand total of $2,200,600.

If the project is approved by the state, the money would come from the cumulative bridge fund, pending approval from the Putnam County Council.

The commissioners approved this request from Peck 3-0.

County officials should find out in March if the project is going to proceed. Construction would still be several years down the line.

The next commitment letter was for $342,970, which is 10 percent of a $3.4 million curve correction project on Manhattan Road near the old viaduct at intersections with County Road 550 South and 575 South.

Located at one of the of the trickier sections of an already narrow and treacherous road, this project would install a more uniform curve with a high-friction surface as well as installing lighting at both crossroads.

Peck said that, all told, it would affect about a mile of roadway.

Final funding for this project, again pending council approval, would come from the local road and street fund.

The commissioners also gave this funding a 3-0 approval.

This project should also be awarded in march.

The county is also moving forward with a $13,000 commitment on a $130,000 plan to update the county sign inventory.

While there is a county sign budget and one employee devoted to replacing signs, this only covers the replacement of signs that are destroyed or heavily damaged.

However, many of the county signs are no longer reflective, rendering them all but useless at night.

The plan Peck requested would bring in contractors to drive the county roads, examining all signs (about 5,000 in the county) and testing their reflectivity, as well as documenting their location on the county Global Information System (GIS).

Peck said this would be about an eight-month process, after which the county could apply for a further grant to replace some or all of the signs.

The commissioners initially balked at spending this amount of money in the first phase without actually replacing any signs.

However, Commissioner David Berry made the motion to commit the $13,000 from road and street, which was seconded by Tom Helmer. Commissioner Rick Woodall voted against the measure.

Finally, Peck presented information on the Federal Highway Administration Bridge Investment Program, for which several local bridges might qualify.

These plans could include turning one bridge into a pedestrian bridge, removing a pair of failing bridges from over CSX Railroad and replacing Bridge 45 on the Hendricks County line near State Road 236 and perhaps relocating to make it a trail overpass on Manhattan Road.

Such plans, which would be further down the line, would likely be 80/20 matches between federal and local funds.

At such proposals, Woodall expressed his displeasure, asking why the county would spend money to take out bridges when it is presently trying to find money to repair and build bridges.

Peck countered that, in the case of the railroad bridges, the county does not want to be liable should they fall on the tracks.

“If chunks of asphalt fall on the track, as (County Attorney Jim Ensley) who will be liable,” Peck said.

Berry, meanwhile, said he was interested in having Peck explore the options further, but wants to know overall costs before proceeding with funding.

The commissioners gave a 2-1 approval to continue exploring this program, with Woodall dissenting.

In other business:

• The commissioners tabled a request to sign a contract with Enterprise Fleet Management to lease new pickups for the highway department.

Peck noted that the current pickups are, on average, 15-17 years old.

“It’s almost to the point that we feel bad sending people out in some of these,” Highway Director Clint Maddox said. “They’re in the shop a lot, and we’re just trying to keep them going.”

The county is looking to lease six trucks — two extended cabs with eight-foot beds and lights, two extended cabs with plows and lights and two crew cabs with eight-foot beds and lights — at an annual cost of $81,995.76 per year with a five-year lease.

Peck said the money is in the budget for next year, though that budget does not have final approval from the state.

Berry made the motion to table, noting there was a lot of information in the lease documents, which he wanted to explore further.

In this discussion, the commissioners also expressed their desire that the highway department get radios for all of its trucks, as drivers currently have to use their mobile phones.

Maddox noted that only basic communication is needed, but “nothing fancy.”

• Woodall noted that county officials need to find a way to pay $110,000 in legal and financial advisory fees related to the proposed solar farm in Russell Township.

County officials had come to an economic development agreement with Tenaska and Arevon, part of which included the developer paying these fees. However, the agreement was never signed by the company.

The special exception was then denied by the County Board of Zoning Appeals denied a special exception, putting the project in limbo if not ending it all together.

Woodall said he was not looking for a solution on Monday, but noted that officials must figure out how the fees will be paid.