Starke County Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler is keeping close tabs on the damage the NIPSCO transmission line project in California and North Bend Townships is doing to local roads.
He says the utility company previously agreed to reimburse the county for damages caused by their equipment.
Ritzler told the county commissioners Monday employees in his department take video of the road conditions each week for documentation. So far he estimates the tab is in excess of $500,000.
Ritzler adds the local portion of the project is not expected to wrap up until late this year or possibly early in 2018. At that time the county will submit a total to NIPSCO.
Ritzler says they’ve also promised the highway department the gravel used to make temporary access roads to the tower sites. He says it will be used as a base to make the necessary repairs.
