Timeline Announced for Emergency Bridge Repair

The Starke County Commissioners will open bids to replace the bridge over 700 East at their July 7 meeting.
The Starke County Commissioners will open bids to replace the bridge over 700 East at their July 7 meeting.

Starke County Road 700 East north of State Road 8 should be open again to traffic by mid-August. That’s the time frame outlined by Starke County Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler. He presented plans for what he calls a “pretty straightforward fix” to the bridge damaged earlier this year by a tree floating down the river that struck the supports.

The county commissioners last night approved plans for the work. The project will now be let for bid, with a Monday, July 7th opening scheduled. That’s the date of the next regularly scheduled commissioners meeting. They plan to award a bid before the meeting ends so work can begin the next day. Ritzler says the plans call for the project to be complete by Aug. 15 so the road can reopen on Aug. 16. At least three contractors have expressed an interest in the project, so Ritzler does not think obtaining competitive bids will be an issue.