Infrastructure News Summary
For July 25, 2008

New Albany, Jeffersonville mayors want bridges built sooner rather than later
The News and Tribune
Daniel Suddeath
7/24/08

The mayors of Jeffersonville, New Albany and Louisville are joining forces in support of a timely finish to the Ohio River Bridges Project. New Albany Mayor Doug England, Jeffersonville Mayor Tom Galligan and Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson met recently with Build the Bridges Coalition to voice the importance of finishing the project. England said the cities have combined efforts to finish the Ohio River Greenway, and the Bridges Project is another example of the importance of unity. The project consists of two new bridges and the rebuilding of Spaghetti Junction, the interchange where Intestates 65, 64 and 71 converge at the base of the Kennedy Bridge on the Kentucky side. Reconstructing Spaghetti Junction would eliminate left-hand exits and ease the congested interchange, according to the plan. The two new structures would be an East-End Bridge and a Downtown Bridge. The East-End Bridge would be six lanes and it would be located approximately eight miles upstream from the Kennedy Bridge at Utica. It would hopefully provide relief for downtown traffic in Louisville and help connect Kentucky and Southern Indiana. http://www.newsandtribune.com/clarkcounty/local_story_206092719.html

Major Moves project busy on State Road 57
Greene County Daily World
Nick Schneider
7/24/08

Work is progressing on the $4.1 million State Road 57 Major Moves project in Greene County. Here, workmen from Dave O'Mara Construction\ of North Vernon are engaged in shoulder work near the County Road 200W intersection on Thursday. The Indiana Department of Transportation\ (INDOT) project encompasses the area between the town of Newberry and the State Road 54/U.S. Route 231 intersection (Lighthouse Junction). Contractor's crews will mill the existing roadway, reconstruct and widen the stone shoulders an average of four additional feet, place approximately three inches of new pavement, improve several sections of guard rail, replace drainage pipes under the roadway and replace signs and mailboxes throughout the project. Expected completion date is June 2009. http://gcdailyworld.com/story/1447548.html

Pipeline safety stalls 61st Avenue road work
Post-Tribune
Karen Snelling
7/25/08

HOBART -- Work to widen 61st Avenue has been halted so the road can be redesigned to ensure that it will not compromise the safe operation of a high pressure petroleum pipeline. "I'm doing everything in my power to move this project along," Mayor Brian Snedecor Thursday said. Engineers from HNTB, an Indianapolis consulting firm, are working with Rieth-Riley Construction Inc. to resolve conflicts with the pipeline, he said. Rieth-Riley, based in Gary, won a $7 million contract to widen 61st from two to four lanes from Liverpool Road to just east of Colorado street. The underground pipeline operated by Marathon Pipe Line runs along the south side of the road. http://www.post-trib.com/news/1074025,hbgasline.article

Neighbors, drivers, city engineer welcome improvements to McKinley & Ironwood intersection
WSBT
Kelli Cheatham
7/25/08

SOUTH BEND - The city is spending more than $2 million on improvements at the intersection of McKinley Avenue and Ironwood Drive on the East Side. Local drivers, neighbors and city workers say the improvements have been a long time coming. "Too much traffic for the number of travel lanes," explained City Engineer Carl Littrell. "Any improvement would be good," acknowledged another driver. From long lines to more than a dozen accidents each year, the intersection at McKinley and Ironwood is an inconvenience for everyone. Right now the intersection is designed so only one direction of traffic gets the green light at one time. But the scheduled improvements will bring big changes. Littrell said the plans include a five-lane intersection in each direction - a left turn lane and two thru lanes. http://www.wsbt.com/news/local/25892939.html

Bridge upkeep can't go to a vote
WANE TV
7/24/08

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) Fort Wayne and Allen County leaders aren't any closer to figuring out who should pay for Allen County bridge maintenance. Just this week, it seemed like a solution was in sight. Mayor Tom Henry suggested a multi-million dollar bond go to a referendum this fall. City spokesman Ozzie Mitson says, "House Bill 1001, which allows us to put things to referendum, is a brand new law and this is the first time anyone has tried this." Here's why it failed. Before the county council can approve a bond, it has to advertise a public hearing for at least ten days. The problem is, those ten days put the county well behind an August first deadline to get the issue on the fall ballot. http://www.wane.com/Global/story.asp?S=8733069&nav=0RYb