There were a few snow plows seen on the area highways this week. Officials at the Indiana Department of Transportation have confirmed that they are prepping for the winter season.
Matt Deitchley from INDOT said that the workers at the Winamac sub-district have been doing inspections and training this week. They are making sure all of the snow plow drivers and equipment are ready for the new season. Road salt deliveries will be made in the next few days all across the district.
The Indiana Department of Transportation has allocated a $2.1 million federal grant to build a portion of U.S. 31 in Marshall County near Plymouth to make sure the state doesn’t lose the money.
The Obama administration announced in August that states had until yesterday to specify how to spend $473 million in federal dollars that had been earmarked for highway projects between 2003 and 2006.
INDOT spokesman Matt Deitchley said that the state had always intended to use that money to rebuild a portion of U.S. 31 between South Bend and Plymouth, but not a specific part. He says the state will hear bids from contractors to begin construction on that stretch of the road next year.
As the political season heats up, you are reminded that campaign signs are prohibited from federal and state highway rights-of-way. INDOT personnel are required by state law to remove unauthorized signs if they are in the right-of-way.
All signs will be taken to an INDOT sub-district office. The sub-districts in our area include stations at LaPorte, Plymouth and Winamac, and anyone wishing to reclaim a sign may do so from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday though Friday.
The crossing was closed for routine maintenance by Norfolk Southern Railroad, and they had estimated that it would be closed to traffic until Sept. 10, but the work was completed ahead of schedule and the road is once again open to traffic.
INDOT Railroad and Utilities Engineer Mike Essling said that the planned closure was expected to be a bit longer than usual, but he said the company would coordinate efforts on restoring access to the tracks as quickly as possible. All emergency services, school corporations, and other affected parties were notified of the track’s closure and provided with alternate routes.
Drivers traveling on State Road 8 near Knox may want to plan a different route, as Norfolk Southern Railroad has temporarily closed the railroad crossing on the highway approximately 1.7 miles east of Knox. The crossing was closed early Monday morning, and officials say it will remain closed until Sept. 10 at 7 p.m.
A detour is in place directing drivers from U.S. 35 to U.S. 30, then to State Road 23.
The Norfolk & Southern Railroad has announced plans to close the railroad crossing on State Road 8, approximately 1.7 miles east of Knox from 8 a.m. on Aug. 27 through Sept. 10 at 7 p.m.
A detour has been proposed from U.S. 35 to U.S. 30, then to State Road 23.
INDOT Railroad and Utilities Engineer Mike Essling told WKVI that while this length of time for a railroad to be closed is slightly longer than the norm, the railroad company will coordinate efforts on restoring access to the tracks as quickly as possible.
This kind of maintenance is routine, and all emergency services, school corporations, and other affected parties will be notified of the track’s closure. Until the crossing is re-opened, drivers are encouraged to take the detour and plan accordingly.
The Indiana Department of Transportation is working on three different projects in the Starke County area.
Crews are removing tree debris on State Road 8 between State Road 39 and U.S. 35. The debris was caused by the storms that roared through the area on Tuesday, July 24. Travel is restricted to one lane and this project could continue through the week.
State Road 39 between State Road 8 and U.S. 30 is closed during the day for pipe replacement. The road is open at night, and this project is expected to continue for the next two weeks.
Crews are also resurfacing U.S. 35 between the U.S. 30 intersection and U.S. 6. Chip and seal work is expected to continue through the week. Drivers are asked to proceed on that road with caution, as loose gravel will be present.
U.S. 35 between U.S. 6 and U.S. 30 will closed tomorrow and Wednesday for a chip-seal and fog seal operation to repair the road surface. Detours will be clearly marked.
The Indiana Department of Transportation will be pouring a liquid asphalt emulsion on the roadway and covering the liquid asphalt with crushed stone to provide a new surface. Chip-sealing helps extends the life of the highway.
Travelers on U.S. 30 may encounter a number of bumps in the road – literally. These bumps seem to develop on highways in extreme heat, and the Indiana Department of Transportation has announced that they will be sending out crews to level out those highway humps.
INDOT Media Relations Director Matt Deitchley said that a repair schedule has been worked out, and they expect work to begin on U.S. 31 and U.S. 30 very soon.
Mowing operations are set to begin soon along state rights-of-way in the La Porte District, says INDOT. While many drivers may be surprised to see grass along the right-of-way growing longer than the typical lawn, INDOT wants to remind drivers that with thousands of acres to maintain, keeping the vegetation as short as the regular lawn is not possible.
INDOT says they predominantly use a three-cycle process to mow state roadways, which includes all interstates, state roads and U.S. routes. That means each right-of-way will be mowed three times a year. The Borman Expressway (I-80/94) and State Road 912 are on a five-cycle process.
The Indiana Department of Transportation is currently developing plans to replace the bridge on US 35, just a half-mile south of US 30 in Starke County. The project carries an estimated cost of $5 million, but INDOT has said they plan to use state and federal funds for construction.
INDOT says the current structure is deteriorating, and the project would improve the operation while increasing the required vertical clearance over the CSX railroad beneath the bridge. They say the construction would require approximately 1.35 acres of new permanent right-of-way, but no displacement of residents or businesses would be involved in the project.
State Road 23 in Koontz Lake will be closed between County Roads 1000 East and 825 North beginning Monday, April 9th. INDOT crews will be constructing a new roadway and bridge at the Koontz Lake dam project site. The road is expected to reopen in July, weather permitting.
Work is being done to replace the Koontz Lake Dam and straighten out the curve in the road that passes over the dam on State Road 23. The project is expected to be completed this year.
The state Department of Transportation is asking Adopt-A-Highway groups to help in the annual spring cleanup of Indiana’s highways.
INDOT and Adopt-A-Highway groups are planning a statewide effort to clean up Indiana’s highways during Trash Bash 2012. The event runs from April 7 through April 22.
Jeff Larrison of United Consulting and Pulaski County Highway Superintendent Kenny Becker told the Pulaski County Commissioners this week that they expect a delay in the construction process of the Monterey Bridge Project because of a delay with the INDOT agreement. Larrison explained that INDOT has pushed bid letting for projects throughout the state back several months and as a result, the Monterey Bridge project is expected to be let for bid in September—a two-month setback from their planned letting in July.
Construction work continues on two bridges on U.S. 35 in Pulaski and LaPorte Counties.
An INDOT spokesman told WKVI News that work is just about complete on Phase 1 of the Quigley Ditch Bridge replacement project in Winamac. Crews will be paving the rehabilitated section of bridge in the next few days and traffic is expected to switch onto the new pavement by this Friday, September 9th. The other side of the bridge will then be rehabbed. Traffic restrictions should be gone by the end of October or early November unless inclement weather delays construction.
Workers from the Indiana Department of Transportation are working on the Quigley Ditch Bridge on U.S. 35 in Winamac as part of a bridge replacement project. The project began on Monday, July 11th.
The North Judson Town Board members discussed outdoor pool regulations at their recent meeting.
Building Inspector, Steve Ransom, said if you install a pool 24 inches tall or bigger, whether it’s a temporary pool or you plan to place it on your property permanently, a permit is required. Pools under 48 inches that have an entry that can not be secured must be fenced in. More information regarding pool installation can be found in an ordinance in the Clerk’s office.
Lt. Governor Becky Skillman this week joined Indiana Department of Transportation officials to announce that nearly 600 INDOT work trucks and cargo vans are being converted to run on cleaner burning domestic propane. To be fueled at 115 INDOT sites covering the state, the propane vehicles are projected to save taxpayers more than $1 million in fuel costs each year.
When severe weather strikes in the area, there is a chance traffic signals can lose power. The Indiana Department of Transportation has technicians on 24 hours per day to manage these issues.
Under Indiana law, drivers who encounter an intersection where the signal has lost power should treat the intersection as a four way stop. After stopping and when it is safe to do so, the driver should proceed with caution through the intersection. Drivers should yield to the right of way of traffic already in the intersection.
A 17-year-old Demotte boy died in a car-semi accident Tuesday night in Newton County. Matthew Tayler apparently pulled into the path of the semi on State Road 10. Weather was a factor in the accident. The semi driver was from Janesville, Wisconsin. He was not injured.
A semi driver hit an INDOT snow plow Wednesday morning on State Road 31 near Lakeville. The semi drivers said he did not see the snow plow in front of him because of the snow hitting his windshield. The semi driver was ticketed for driving too closely.
