The Starke County Commissioners have chosen a contractor to replace two of the county’s bridges, but not before some concerns were raised about the county’s responsible bidding ordinance. LaPorte Construction was selected Monday to replace a bridge on County Road 25 North over Eagle Creek for just over $325,000. The company will also replace the bridge on 800 South over Bogus Run for just under $297,000.
Road Closed for Bridge Sealing
Bridge Over Bogus Run Set to Reopen Monday
The new bridge over Bogus Run on Starke County 900 East will open again to traffic on Monday. The bridge just west of 100 West has been closed since August. LaPorte Construction is sealing the deck of that bridge. They also replaced the bridge over Eagle Creek on 800 East just north of 50 South. It reopened recently as well. Continue reading
Bridge Over Eagle Creek Open Again to Traffic
The bridge over Eagle Creek on Starke County Road 800 East just north of 50 South is open to traffic again. The road has been closed for the past two months to accommodate its replacement. Starke County Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler also told the county commissioners yesterday the bridge on 900 South over Bogus Run just west of 100 West should be finished in the next week or so as well, depending on the weather. Continue reading
Starke County Road 800 East Closed for Bridge Replacement
Work on the new bridge over Eagle Creek is under way. LaPorte Construction Company won the bid to replace the bridge on Starke County Road 800 East. Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler tells WKVI News 800 East will be closed between 25 North and 50 South for the next couple of months. Take 25 north to 700 East down to 50 South and back to 800 East to get around the road work. Detour signs are up.
Boater Stumbles Upon Old Bass Lake Diving Board
Do you ever remember diving off the diving board at Bass Lake? What year was it? Well, you might never dive off of it again, but because of the low water at Bass Lake the old diving board and platform have been discovered. A boat struck the items in about four feet of water, and although at first no one knew what it was, it was soon discovered that the platform had four polls on each corner and a rug on top of the deck.
On another note, Starke County’s most famous bridge – the one that went over Eagle Creek – has been removed. The wooden bridge was the site of a near-tragic event that occurred in April 1996 when a runaway school bus went over the bridge before a student, John Waldron, stopped it in a field.
The bridge has recently been taken out and a culvert installed. Highway workers brought the old wooden bridge to the highway garage property. It’s not known if it will be sold, scrapped, or used for parts.
