A ribbon cutting ceremony was held Friday afternoon to officially open the bridge that had been under construction since March. The project had been on the drawing board for several years.
Commissioner Larry Brady attended the ribbon cutting ceremony and was happy with the work of all involved.
“It was a fantastic project here,” said Brady. “United Consulting, LaPorte Construction, the residents of Monterey, the Monterey Town Board – a collaboration of a project that went quite well. We’re very pleased for Pulaski County and the residents of Monterey. It was a long road, but we finally completed that journey.”
Commissioner Terry Young said he was happy with the project and the old bridge will have a purpose.
“I’m so glad to see this finally come to an end here. It’s been a long time coming and we’re so proud of it. Originally, the plans were to take the old bridge out, but the DNR said it’s historical and if they can make use of it for a walking trail, it would work out wonderfully for everybody. I’m just so happy for the people of Monterey,” noted Young.
Commission President Tracey Shorter was happy that the residents of Monterey will be able to have access to the town from the north.
“I was just talking with the contractor about all of the barriers coming down and people are actually going to be able to drive across this today. It’s a big thing for Pulaski County, Monterey and everybody involved. It’s such a team,” commented Shorter.
Jeff Larrison of United Consulting said it was a long process and the residents had a lot of inconveniences along the way.
“We are just extremely thankful for the opportunity to work with Pulaski County,” said Larrison. “This has been a long time coming. The commissioners, the highway superintendent and the townspeople have been patient through this long process with a lot of inconveniences. It’s all paid off today with a beautiful bridge that should last for years and years. This will make the entry into Monterey a lot safer as well with the new alignment. We’re very happy with the way the project turned out.”
The total project cost $1,723,000. INDOT’s portion of that total cost was $1,314,225 and Pulaski County’s cost was $408,775.
