The Starke County Highway Department continues to make progress with bridge replacements and upgrades. The new bridge on 250 West over Bogus Run, just south of Toto Road, should be finished this week, according to county highway superintendent Rik Ritzler.
Mishawaka-based Northern Indiana Construction is wrapping up that project. They were also the low bidder for two additional bridges which are scheduled to be replaced in the spring. The county received a total of five bids for the project. It includes the bridge on 900 East, less than a mile south of State Road 10 and the bridge on 625 South, just west of 875 East.
Their total bid of $538,747.26 was significantly less than any of the others turned in and is also well below the project’s estimated cost. The commissioners awarded the bid unanimously last week, based on Ritzler’s recommendation. Work on both bridges is due to start April 1.
In September, Northern Indiana Construction was awarded the contract to replace the bridge on 1150 East, almost a mile from State Road 10. Their bid of $270,531 was almost $46,000 less than the engineer’s estimate.
Starke County is also looking to replace the bridge on 1200 East, about a mile south of State Road 8. The county received more than $1 million in matching funds from INDOT for the project, which is on the state’s 2019 replacement schedule. Design proposals are due Jan. 16, 2017. INDOT and Starke County officials will score all submitted proposals and award a contract for the design work once that process is complete.
