Infrastructure News Summary
For April 24, 2008

'T' INTERSECTION RESTRICTED FOR CONSTRUCTION
Carroll County Comet
4/23/08

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) is working on an intersection improvement project around the "T" intersection of U.S. 421/State Road 39 and State Road 18/U.S. 421/SR 39 in Carroll County. Traffic is being restricted to one lane through Friday. This will allow the final layer of asphalt and pavement markings be applied for an improvement project that began last June. The project converted the triangle intersection with merge lanes into a "T" intersection with a three-way stop. http://www.carrollcountycomet.com/news/2008/0423/local_News/075.html

NEW ALBANY'S SPRING ST. HILL ROAD MAY REOPEN
The News and Tribune
Daniel Suddeath
4/23/08

Mayor Doug England's administration is looking to make good on a campaign promise to start reconstruction of Spring Street Hill Road. The road has been closed for nearly four years, and during his recent State of the City address, the mayor again renewed his commitment to having it reopen. On Tuesday, up to $35,000 for initial engineering work through the Louisville firm Jacobi, Toombs and Lanz Inc.. was approved by the Board of Public Works and Safety. The money will be underwritten through city funds until a tax-increment-financing, or TIF, district extension can be approved through the Redevelopment Commission, according to deputy mayor and director of development Carl Malysz. TIF money - likely from the State Street parking garage area - would be used to fund the improvements for Spring Street Hill Road, if approved. That money would replenish the city funds being used for the initial engineering costs. http://www.news-tribune.net/local/local_story_114113817.html

DOWNTOWN BRIDGE AESTHETICS UNVEILED
The News and Tribune
David Mann
4/23/08

Aesthetics, including shape, color and lighting, for a planned bridge across the Ohio River that will connect Southern Indiana to Downtown Louisville were unveiled during an open house in Jeffersonville on Tuesday night. Matt Bullock - the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's interim project manager of the Ohio River Bridges project - said the designs on display during the open house were the product of public input offered by residents on both sides of the river. The downtown bridge will carry traffic north on Interstate 65 and will span the river next to the existing Kennedy Bridge, which will handle southbound traffic. The deck of the bridge will be supported by cables attached to three towers. Six lanes, 12-foot shoulders and a 17-foot pedestrian and bike path are among the structure's features. http://www.news-tribune.net/local/local_story_114113209.html

SENATOR SEEKS TEMPORARY REDUCTION IN DIESEL TAX
Land Line Magazine
4/23/08

Diesel users pay 6 cents more per gallon than gasoline users in federal taxes at the pump. That could all change if a bill introduced in the Senate is passed into law. Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-ME, introduced the "Diesel Tax Parity Act," on Monday, April 21. The bill seeks to drop the federal diesel tax to 18.3 cents per gallon through the end of 2008. Currently, 24.3 cents on the gallon are collected in federal fuel taxes on diesel. Diesel prices have reached record after record and are now averaging nearly $1.30 a gallon more than this time last year. http://www.landlinemag.com/Special_Reports/2008/Apr08/042308_Senator_seeks_reduction.htm

KOUTS HOPES INTERSECTION WORK STARTS IN THE FALL
The NWI Times
Phil Wieland
4/23/08

KOUTS | With a spring bidding for the intersection of Ind. 49 and Ind. 8 out of the question, town officials now are hoping for a fall start to the project. Town Engineer James Mandon said the project was pushed back because of discussions about changing the size of the storm sewer. He said the Indiana Department of Transportation now intends to fast track the engineering in order to award the bid by late summer or early fall. That would mean the relocation of the power lines, water mains and manholes could be done this year and the actual road widening and reconstruction could be done in the spring. The one major unknown in the project is the effect on the town's water lines. Mandon said the line serving that area was installed in 1938, "which means it was installed really well because it's still doing the job." However, because of its age and proximity to the road project, the conventional wisdom calls for all or some of it to be replaced.
http://www.thetimesonline.com/articles/2008/04/23/updates/breaking_news/doc480f513f94f52939590948.txt

PORTER, LAPORTE COUNTIES MAY SEE FED BRIDGE FUNDS
Post-Tribune
Erik Potter
4/23/08

Two area bridge projects will likely receive millions of dollars in federal funding through the Indiana Department of Transportation. The LaPorte district of INDOT, which encompasses seven northern counties, including Lake and Porter, received $4.8 million in federal money this year to assist county bridge projects. Each county had the opportunity to submit a project for federal funding. The LaPorte district prioritized the submissions and created a list of projects that it can afford to fund. http://www.post-trib.com/news/910053,bridges.article

WHY ISN'T TOLL ROAD MONEY FIXING U.S. 52?
Journal & Courier
Eldon Horney
4/24/08

In reference to the Journal & Courier's April 12 story about the repaving of U.S. 52 being scheduled for 2010, surely this project needs to move up on the priority list for INDOT, as the condition of Sagamore Parkway can't get much worse for the number of vehicles traveling each day. Mitch Daniels, where is all the millions you sold the toll road for and promised to divert to state highways? http://www.jconline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008804240310