A major route to Hamlet could be getting an upgrade, but not for another five years. The town council recently agreed to team up with the Starke County Highway Department to apply for funding to widen and resurface County Road 500 North/Indiana Avenue from U.S. 35 to County Road 750 East.
Highway Department Office Manager Mary Perren said the Indiana Department of Transportation would cover 80 percent of the cost with federal funding, but it probably wouldn’t happen until 2025. “It’s a very significant part of our hot mix asphalt plan to be able to accommodate the traffic loads that are on 500 North: industrial, agricultural, residential,” Perren said.
She explained that the County Highway Department would handle the grant application, which is due in December.
