Proposed Bridge Inspection Contract Presented to Pulaski County Commissioners

Pulaski County Commissioners: Mike McClure, Jerry Locke, Kenny Becker

Pulaski County’s bridge inspection costs are going up. Last week, Jeff Larrison with United Consulting presented the county commissioners with a draft agreement for the 2018-through-2021 bridge inspection cycle.

It calls for a fee of almost $217,000, spread out over the next four years. “This thing has almost doubled since your last contract, and that’s because of all this extra red tape that not just the state – it’s primarily come down from the federal government,” Larrison explained. “This is being seen across the state, as far as bridge inspection costs for counties.” He said that 80 percent of that cost will be covered by the Indiana Department of Transportation, with money from the federal government.

The county commissioners voted to allow Larrison to send the draft agreement to INDOT for review, along with other information from the Pulaski County Highway Department. Once it gets INDOT’s blessing, it will go back to the county commissioners for final approval.

Earlier this month, the commissioners approved contracts for underwater bridge inspections. Larrison explained that project is being done separately, since INDOT wants them done this summer, before the new bridge inspection cycle begins in September.