Three rounds of paving are anticipated in this year’s summer schedule for crews with the Starke County Highway Department.
Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler told the county commissioners on Monday night the crews hope to get close to 30 miles of paving projects done this year.
“During round one, we completed close to 12 miles of asphalt paving,” said Ritzler. “Almost three miles of hot mix paving and nine miles of cold mix asphalt were done – most of that was done on the flood-damaged roads and the transmission line roads. Our goal was to get 25 miles done by the end of the year. If we get in all three rounds, we could hit 30 so that’s a good thing.”
Ritzler said chip and seal projects are also a part of the summer road schedule.
“We’re probably going to do that in late August or early September. That’s when the weather is best for that. We’re going to do about 25 miles of that as well. It’s a robust paving season.”
In addition, work to improve the markings at railroad crossings is underway.
“TCS has already started putting down the markings and we’ve been putting up the signs. That should be done in a month or two and all our railroad crossings will be up to code and standards. The state paid for that so that’s a good thing for us.”
A bridge replacement project is in progress on County Road 25 N. over the Eagle Creek just west of 600 E. Construction on that project began last week and a tentative completion date is Aug. 29. Ritzler believes the company may be able to get the project in a little ahead of the proposed completion date. A lot of that depends on the weather.
