Crews with the Starke County Highway Department are looking ahead to projects this year.
Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler told the county commissioners Monday night that culvert and bridge maintenance is set for this summer. In fact, bridge No. 154 on County Road 100 E. north of County Road 400 North over the Robbins Ditch will be replaced beginning April 8. It is expected to be under construction through the end of June.
Ritzler added that bridge maintenance will go on as usual.
“All bridges are going to get cleaned as they do twice a year – all 57,” said Ritzler. “We have 44 bridges with concrete decks and we seal those every four to five years. This is the cycle year that we’re going to do that.”
Bridge cleaning should occur in April and May and continue in September.
Ritzler noted that several culverts will be cleaned.
“We have 662 culverts and 116 of those need to be cleaned. Culvert replacements, we only have 12. As you know the past couple of years we had 40. We think when we clean some of these culverts there may be a couple we need to change so it may be a little higher than 12.”
Culvert cleaning will begin this month and last through May. Culvert replacement work will continue through October.
