Infrastructure News Summary
For May 22, 2008
CANAL ROAD DELAYED UNTIL NOVEMBER
The Tribune-Star
5/21/08
TERRE HAUTE - A bid letting for construction of the second phase of Vigo
County's Canal Road project has been delayed until Nov. 18, instead of as
previously planned in early June. "Getting railroad agreements is the main
holdup," said Vigo County Engineer Jerry Netherlain. CSX Transportation is
designing at-grade crossings for intersections such as at Springhill Road and
for a crossing that serves Graham Grain Co., Netherlain said. Railroad designs
are not expected to be completed until mid-July and all agreements and designs
for the project must be completed 13 weeks before a bid letting, said Ron
Hisenkamp, chief transportation planner for West Central Indiana Economic
Development District. Phase II will start near Ferree Road, with construction of
a four-lane road to the southern edge of Interstate 70, where it will connect to
Terre Haute's 13th Street project. The second phase is estimated to cost between
$12 million to $14 million, Netherlain said. The first phase of the project,
which includes construction of a railroad overpass, started this year.
http://www.tribstar.com/news/local_story_142235102.html
CONSTRUCTION TAKES BITE OUT OF BUSINESS
Fox 28
5/20/08
The State Road 23 widening project started some 6 weeks ago and while everyone's looking forward to it's benefits long term, for some, it's making it tough to do business in the meantime. Jacie Baker, a clerk at The Artistic Touch says, "When it's like this people are afraid to come in and we've had people call and say I can't get in. Is there a way, if I turn around, is there a way to get in your store?" Baker says they have seen business dip in the last couple of weeks. They're having a sale to thank people for making their way through this and they are having signs made to let people know where to get in. And up and down State Road 23 in the construction zone, it's the same story. http://www.fox28.com/News/index.php?ID=37770
ROUGH ROAD AHEAD FOR HIGHWAY BILL
Forbes
Andrew T. Gillies
5/21/08
As we've regularly reported on Forbes.com, the road building lobby in
Washington makes a loud and skillful case that federal spending on highways--$41
billion for fiscal 2008--is inadequate and that the nation's infrastructure is
facing a crisis. "It's a severe situation," said David Bauer, senior
vice president for government affairs at the American Road & Transportation
Builders Association, Tuesday. "It's probably as severe as [any during] the
11 years that I've been at ARTBA." Why so severe? One reason is the
legislative outlook, as discussed by a panel of Democratic and Republican
congressional staffers that ARTBA had summoned for a briefing Tuesday. The
consensus among them: reauthorization of the nation's multi-year transportation
spending law, enacted in 2005 with a $287 billion price tag, could prove much
trickier than the last go round. A new administration and new environmental
issues will complicate already contentious issues of funding America's
infrastructure.
http://www.forbes.com/business/2008/05/21/washington-lobbying-transportation-biz-wash-cz_atg_0521beltway.html
U.S. 27 CONSTRUCTION PROJECT DISRUPTS UNION COUNTY RESIDENTS' LIVES
Palladium-Item
Pam Tharp
5/21/08
LIBERTY, Ind. -- The project might cause inconvenience, but local traffic for residents living on the road will be maintained during the project, INDOT construction manager Jerry McCreary said. School buses will continue to use the highway through Friday, when classes end. Buses that pick up students on the highway will continue to travel it next fall, at least most of the time, he said. The official detour for the $9.5 million project begins in Richmond at U.S. 27 South and Ind. 227 South. Through traffic will be detoured to Ind. 227 South, which becomes Ohio 177 South, to Ohio 73 East back to U.S. 27 in Oxford, Ohio. In Liberty, southbound traffic will use Ind. 44 East to Ohio 725 East to Ohio 177 South to Ohio 73 East to U.S. 27 in Oxford. http://www.pal-item.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080521/NEWS01/805210312/1008
U.S. 31 PLANS AIRED
RESIDENTS ATTEND MEETING ABOUT PROPOSED CORRIDOR.
South Bend Tribune
Tom Moor
5/20/08
SOUTH BEND - Betty Harbaugh has lived in her country home just north of U.S.
6 and east of U.S. 31 since 1980 - the same house her grandparents called home
for years. A stunned Harbaugh learned on Monday the new U.S. 31 corridor between
South Bend and Plymouth is tentatively scheduled to run right through her home,
forcing her to find a new place to live. Harbaugh's neighbor, Dave Norman, is
just out of reach of the new route, although he was busy guessing how it could
change his life, because the road will be much closer to his home. They were
joined by dozens of people Monday at Jackson Intermediate Center, where
representatives from the Indiana Department of Transportation unveiled stage one
design plans for the corridor. Several representatives were on hand to answer
questions from concerned residents such as Harbaugh. Many displays, each
containing a section of the new highway, were set up around the gymnasium.
http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080520/News01/805200319/0/Lives
Also, http://www.county29.net/cms2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14382&Itemid=230
Also, http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080522/LOCAL0104/805220356/1001/NEWS