Infrastructure News Summary
For April 9, 2008

CITY OKS FAIRLAND PLAN
TIF DISTRICT WOULD CAPTURE REVENUE FOR NEW INFRASTRUCTURE
The Shelbyville News
4/8/08

The Shelbyville Common Council voted unanimously Monday night to send a proposal creating a tax increment finance (TIF) district for Fairland to the city's redevelopment commission. The measure will be considered at the commission's next public meeting scheduled April 21. If approved by the commission, it would be the city's fourth TIF district. According to Mayor Scott Furgeson, who gave a presentation to members of the council and the audience, the new Fairland TIF would be financed by an estimated $13 million in revenue bonds issued by the redevelopment commission, to be paid back within 30 years. City officials believe the extension of sewers to that area will cost nearly $3 million, and new streets, roads, stormwater conveyance systems, retention ponds, pedestrian pathways and sidewalks will cost an additional $10 million. Many see the creation of a TIF district as a way of paying for all of those improvements as well as helping to finance construction of an all-important "western arterial" or westward corridor highway that eventually will connect South State Road 9 to Mausoleum Road, the Fairland interchange (TIF district) and North State Road 9. Furgeson has described it as a possible State Road 9 bypass around the city, which would help to alleviate heavy truck traffic. http://www.shelbynews.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=93&ArticleID=54871&TM=51301.86

INDOT ready for Shelby projects
The Shelbyville News
4/8/08

An 18-mile section of U.S. 52 from Post Road in Marion County to Shelby County Road 500 East near Morristown is scheduled to be resurfaced this summer, according to officials with the Indiana Department of Transportation. INDOT communication coordinator Harry Maginity said Monday that the Meridian Road work is in advance of the main milling and resurfacing project of the highway, which will cost more than $978,000 and begin in mid-July. http://www.shelbynews.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=93&ArticleID=54875&TM=51301.86

TRAFFIC DELAYS NEAR TIME CORNERS
Indiana's News Center
Jeff Neumeyer
4/8/08

Traffic on a major thoroughfare in Southwest Fort Wayne will be seriously jammed up the next five weeks. It has to do with a road construction project near Time Corners moving into a new phase. The lane restrictions allow crews to widen Jefferson, and install new curbs and drains. The project has been pushed ahead one piece at a time, with one of the goals being to improve access to the Time Corners Mall. The intersection of Jefferson, Covington and Getz roads will be re-configured starting in mid-May. It's a project that should usher in better traffic flow at that location as well. A new traffic light was activated Tuesday at a brand new entrance to the Time Corners Mall. http://www.indianasnewscenter.com/news/local/17394024.html

BRIDGE OFFERS A SAFER PATH
Post-Tribune
Jane Huh
4/8/08

A pedestrian bridge in Porter is expected to be built by the end of November. The town is accepting sealed bids for a bridge supplier until April 29. The progress comes after two years of meeting strict requirements from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and other from state and federal agencies. The selected bidder would furnish all labor, equipment and materials to create Orchard Pedestrian Bridge, a 225-foot long and 10-foot wide pedestrian bridge that goes over the Little Calumet River on the west side of Waverly Road in Porter. The bridge is part of the Orchard Pedestrian Way, which extends north on Waverly Road to U.S. 20. The $1.2 million project is funded 80 percent through state grants. http://www.post-trib.com/news/882665,pbridge.article