As the Town of Hamlet works to wrap up one Community Crossings project, town officials are now looking ahead to this year’s grant cycle. Hamlet is eligible for a 75-25 matching grant for road projects. During Wednesday’s town council meeting, members said that Railroad Street is next in line for improvements, not only because of its condition, but also the amount of traffic it handles.
Council members noted a few issues to be addressed, with the biggest concern being that the pavement is too narrow. The project may also include drainage improvements, but Council President Dave Kesvormas cautioned that fiber optics buried along the north side of the road could complicate the work.
Council member Brian Earnest felt that the eastern part of the Railroad Street should be the first priority. “I would say you start at Starke. The most expensive part of that project’s going to be from Starke down to, like, Surma’s,” he said. “That’s where you’ve got your semi traffic. That’s the area that’s the worst part of it, really. I mean, it’s torn up right through there.” Earnest raised the possibility that the Starke County Highway Department might be able to help with the western portion, although it was noted that the county’s expecting a drop in road funding.
In the end, town officials decided to advertise for contractors who would be interested in reconstructing the entire length of Railroad Street, with specifics to be determined later.
The Indiana Department of Transportation begins accepting Community Crossings grant applications on August 6. The last day for local governments to turn them in is September 28.
