Infrastructure News Summary
For May 8, 2008

ON THE POT-HOLED HIGHWAY TO HELL
Financial Times
John Gapper
5/7/08

If anyone doubts the problems of US infrastructure, I suggest he or she take a flight to John F. Kennedy airport (braving the landing delay), ride a taxi on the pot-holed and congested Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and try to make a mobile phone call en route. That should settle it, particularly for those who have experienced smooth flights, train rides and road travel, and speedy communications networks in, say, Beijing, Paris or Abu Dhabi recently. The gulf in public and private infrastructure is, to put it mildly, alarming for US competitiveness. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c54f4258-1c5f-11dd-8bfc-000077b07658.html?nclick_check=1

COMMISSIONERS GRAPPLE WITH GRAVEL ROADS
Carroll County Comet
Debbie Lowe
5/7/08

Carroll County Commissioners became concerned about which hard-surface roads were planned to be ground to gravel per the proposed 2008 road plan at their Monday morning meeting. When it was learned CR500S between Prince William Rd. and SR39 was scheduled to become gravel, and noting that there were 14 houses on the road, it was determined a special meeting was needed to discuss county road issues and solutions in-depth. Commissioner Bill Brown said roads in housing growth areas should be preserved as much as the county could afford in order to encourage additional new home growth. Highway superintendent Ron Francis said the county receives enough from gas tax to maintain approximately 20 percent of the roads in the county. http://www.carrollcountycomet.com/news/2008/0507/front_page/004.html

COUNTY GETS MONEY FOR BRIDGE WORK
The Herald Bulletin
5/7/08

Madison County will receive $200,000 from the Indiana Department of Transportation to go toward the reconstruction of the bridge over the White River on County Road 600 West between Eighth Street and Cross Street. County Engineer Chuck Leser reported to the Board of Commissioners on Wednesday that the project was considered a top priority for the 22-county district. The entire district, which is based in Greenfield, received $4.6 million in funds, which is not enough for the number of projects that need to be done, Leser said. "Madison County needs more than the $4.6 million, which is the total for the 22 counties," he said. The 418-foot long bridge will be closed for 90 days when construction starts, but currently the county is working on design plans. http://www.theheraldbulletin.com/local/local_story_128194614.html

FUNDING GAP NARROWING FOR NEW U.S. 231 BYPASS
Journal & Courier
5/7/08

Tippecanoe County and state officials believe plans for a new U.S. 231 bypass in West Lafayette are coming off life-support. An informal contingent of Tippecanoe County, West Lafayette and Purdue University representatives met again with Indiana Department of Transportation officials Wednesday. The group has worked for months on ways to bridge a funding gap in the $96 million project. Officials now peg the difference between how much the project could cost and how much money is available at roughly $4 million to $5 million. Gilbert Viets, chief of staff for INDOT, is optimistic the project could get started in late 2009. After a $23 million funding shortfall was identified on the project last year, local transportation officials started brainstorming. Some proposed changes have been accepted by INDOT but still need approval from the Federal Highway Administration, which is funding much of the project. Officials are considering lowering the speed limit from 55 mph to 50 mph, eliminating an overpass and using steeper slopes on the sides of the road to reduce the amount of right-of-way needed and thereby cut costs. http://www.jconline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080508/NEWS/805080325
Also, http://www.jconline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080507/NEWS09/80507012

THE ISSUE: STATE, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS HAVE KEY CONTESTS. OUR VIEW: THEY ARE IMPORTANT, TOO.
Evansville Courier & Press
5/7/08

It is understandable that the historic Indiana campaign between Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton would distract voters from contests in other state and local races. In fact, it's a good bet that many of the Hoosiers who registered and then voted might not have even participated in Tuesday's primary election without the nationally watched race. As of this writing, Long Thompson, a former congresswoman, had declared victory, but Schellinger, an Indianapolis architect, had not yet conceded, so close was the race. We would expect that the winner will be better known by November, especially after a bombardment of campaign advertising pretty much missing from the primary. The winner will face Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels, who is bidding for a second term in the fall election. Presuming that will be Long Thompson, also a former U.S. undersecretary of agriculture, it sets up a test of Daniels' privatization policies that should draw greater voter interest than Tuesday's primary. Daniels, with the support of a majority in the Indiana Legislature, created Major Moves, the $3.85 billion road building program, which includes funds for the construction of the Interstate 69 leg between Evansville and Crane. He raised that money by leasing the northern Indiana toll road to a foreign consortium. And he has advocated for other privatization in state government. http://www.courierpress.com/news/2008/may/08/the-other-races-the-issue-state-local-have-key/

PROJECT WILL SPRUCE UP GREEN BRIDGE
PLAN IS TO PUT ALL TRAFFIC ON WESTBOUND BRIDGE NEXT MONTH; TARGET COMPLETION IS SEPT. 16
The Indianapolis Star
Gretchen Becker
5/8/08

Work is under way on a summerlong project to refurbish a historic bridge crossing White River near Keystone at the Crossing. But there should be no interruption to 82nd Street traffic on the David Wolf bridge until next month. With the delivery of materials earlier this week, work by Faulkner Construction is beginning beneath the bridge, said Phillip Hunter, project supervisor from Bernardin Lochmueller & Associates. The target completion date is Sept. 16. The original target date for completion was Aug. 28. The Indiana Department of Transportation changed the work order to allow 110 days, Hunter said. The project cost is estimated at $3 million. http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080508/LOCAL1802/805080364/1001/NEWS