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Motorist disregards closed road and damaged culvert
BELLE UNION — A destroyed Jefferson Township culvert wasn’t even the worst thing local highway and law enforcement officials had to deal with this weekend.
It was the entitled motorists who chose to disregard the barricades and drive over the collapsing road anyway.
A burned-out culvert — that’s right, burned out, not washed out — forced the Putnam County Highway Department to close County Road 825 East just south of County Road 750 South over the weekend.
The county building inspector made note of the collapsed culvert and reported the damage to the Putnam County Highway Department.
Reporting to the Putnam County Commissioners on Monday, County Engineer Jim Peck the damage seemed to be caused by a fire that burned most of the double-walled corrugated HDPE (plastic) pipe.
“It looks like someone was burning a waterway,” Peck said. “It must have been one heck of a fire.”
County Highway Director Clint Maddox put out road closed signs and barricades, but that didn’t stop at least one motorist.
“Someone decided to smash through the signs and barricade tape earlier this morning, driving right over the hazardous spot, continuing on,” Putnam County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Scott Ducker wrote in a Sunday Facebook post, also noting that signs and barricades were alternately smashed, pushed aside or missing entirely.
After taking some time to speculate and poke some fun at the offending driver, Ducker’s post turned more serious.
“Seriously folks. Slowwwwww down out there,” Ducker wrote. “And pay attention to the road. Not your phone or your stereo. Always be prepared to take an alternate route. If you accidentally damage public property, it needs to be reported to law enforcement immediately. Otherwise, it is a crime. That is leaving the scene of an accident, involving property damage — B misdemeanor.”
Besides committing a crime, the driver was also taking quite a chance in driving through the area. One sheriff’s department photo shows a bed of asphalt supported by nothing at all on one side of the road.
Equally exasperated, Peck told the commissioners on Monday that his next step was to have crews haul some of rock out to the site to make a bit more substantial of a barricade for future motorists.
In the end, it will be preparation for future work. Peck said the department already has the appropriate culvert on hand and the same rock will be used in completing the installation.
Highway matters dominated the relatively short meeting Monday, also including a pair of residents requesting the repaving of their road after a significant period of time.
Madison Hill subdivision resident Mike Semak, joined by neighbor Mary Bretscher, reported that the cul-de-sac on which they reside, alternately referred to as Lakeview Drive and County Road 375 West, has seriously deteriorated.
Semak said he has lived on the road for 23 years and it has never been repaved in that time, while Bretscher added that the last time it was repaved was before she and her family moved to their house in 1990.
Semak noted the problem is more than just potholes, saying the asphalt itself is degrading to where it’s becoming like a gravel road.
Having seen the matter on the agenda, Commissioner Tom Helmer said he had already examined the road, and praised Peck and the highway department’s efforts to patch the road.
However, both Helmer and Commissioner David Berry expressed their intent to examine the matter further. Peck said the 650 feet of road would take an estimated $15,000-$20,000 worth of material to repave.
Berry told the citizens the commissioners would “come up with something.” Commissioner Rick Woodall was not in attendance Monday due to a work conflict.
In another culvert matter, Peck reported that the bridge on County Road 25 West (Shortcut Road) just north of County Road 500 North will be replaced with a culvert.
The highway department will perform the work beginning the week of April 15, with the road remaining closed for about one week.
Peck is also discussing a nearby bridge on 500 North with consultants for possible replacement in 2025.
One other piece of bridge work this week will involve Cornstalk Covered Bridge in Franklin Township. Peck said he has figured out a way to support the bridge while crews install a reinforcing steel plate as well as a new wooden beam.
Once the work is complete, the bridge will again be inspected by United Consulting with results turned over to the Indiana Department of Transportation in hopes of reopening the bridge.