The culvert collapse on County Road 700 East between County Road 600 North and County Road 750 North in Starke County is still under assessment.
Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler told the Starke County Commissioners Monday night that he and County Surveyor Bill Crase are monitoring the site.
Mark Wilson from Jones, Petrie and Rafinski looked at the issue the day it occurred and delivered four recommendations for repair.
Ritzler said Wilson’s recommendation is a bridge replacement project.
“The pros on that are a long life span, it’s easy to maintain, and has the best bank stabilization,” said Ritzler. “The problems are it’s expensive, and the road would be closed for most of the fall school semester near Oregon-Davis and the Oregon-Davis buses use that route.”
The cost would be somewhere between $300,000 to $350,000.
Other types of repair include a modular bridge, aluminum box culvert and twin culverts. These are less expensive options, but Ritzler is going wait to make a decision.
“I’m going to wait until those estimates come in. I’m going to recommend we do that and then at the next meeting I’ll come and make a recommendation and we can go from there. How’s that?”
Commission President Charlie Chesak and Commission Bryan Cavendar replied, “Sounds good!”
For now, the road remains closed.
