Work on two Starke County bridges should be finished by the end of the month. Starke County Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler says the replacement bridge on 800 East over Eagle Creek just north of 500 West is halfway done. Work is also under way on the bridge on 900 South over Bogus run just west of 100 West. LaPorte Construction is doing both projects for the county. They will also replace the bridges on 50 East over Smith Ditch just south of 500 South and on 450 South just west of Range Road over Smith Ditch in the spring.
Ritzler adds the Starke County Highway Department completed its first comprehensive bridge maintenance plan in 2014. The county’s bridge crew cleaned, inspected and repaired all 58 bridges in the county. Ritzler says it cost less to do preventive maintenance than to replace one bridge. He estimates it added five years of service life to each of the bridges, which will save the county quite a bit of money in the long run. Click here to read the 2014 Starke County Bridge Maintenance Report
