Starke County Commissioners Approve Transfer For Highway Dept.

Posted on Author WKVI
Steve Siddall

Starke County Highway Superintendent Steve Siddall approached the commissioners at their meeting last week to request a transfer into their truck repair fund to cover some repairs on equipment. The commissioners approved his request unanimously.

“We’re just doing general maintenance on the trucks and trying to update them and some of the trucks are getting some pretty heavy rust damage inside and out and the mechanics brought it to my attention, and I brought it to the council tonight to get a little more transferred money into truck repair to fix the damage in the cabs, on the beds, fenders, stuff like that,” said Siddall.

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Starke Co. Bridge 51 Replacement May Be Ahead of Schedule

Posted on Author WKVI
Steve Siddall

The replacement of Bridge 51 is coming right along, and it may actually be done ahead of time. The commissioners awarded the bridge replacement project to LaPorte Construction in August at an estimated cost of $224,238.25, and the company now predicts that they will be done with the replacement before the original estimated completion date of Nov. 1.

According to Starke County Highway Superintendent Steve Siddall, the bridge needed replaced because the wooden caps that had been installed on the bridge in the 1950s have crushed and failed, and he says this bridge was scheduled to be replaced in 2011.

Siddall told the commissioners that construction on the bridge had started shortly after the bid was awarded, and after the bridge structure was removed, it was hauled out. Work started soon after on placing a new bridge structure, and that is expected to be completed along with the other details toward the end of October.

Boom Truck Locked until Inspection

Posted on Author WKVI
Steve Siddall

Fearful it may not be safe to operate, Starke County Highway Superintendent Steve Siddall has locked the boom truck. The truck, a 1998 model, is due for inspection.

Siddall discussed the cost of inspection with the County Commissioners this week.

“Just to get the boom truck up and running will cost the county $13,542.38 for an inspection,” said Siddall.

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Highway Superintendent Presents Bridge Priority List to Starke County Commissioners

Posted on Author WKVI
Steve Siddall

Starke County Highway Superintendent, Steve Siddall, recently distributed a priority schedule for bridges in the county to county officials. 19 bridges are on the schedule and Siddall explained what the schedule means.

“It gives us an overall look at what bridges need immediate work and what the time frame is for the type of work or the year – if it needs to be replaced or rehabbed. It depends on what the bridge companies think that we’re going to have. The life span of the bridge is also taken into consideration,” stated Siddall.

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Starke County Highway Superintendent Addresses Caved-in Bridge

Posted on Author WKVI
Steve Siddall

Bridge #62 in Starke County has caved in. Starke County Highway Superintendent Steve Siddall talked about the situation with the Commissioners.

“Bridge #62 has fallen in. It’s not in the water. I was in Indianapolis last week and checked on permits and we have the permits to pull the bridge up. We’re getting around getting our cables because we haven’t done this six years. We are not removing the abutments. We are just removing the box beams. If I remove the abutments, that could cause erosion and that could cost us more money. It will save us money in the long run by us taking this out. It’s going to take a couple of weeks to get things around because I have to get cables. Our crane will not just pick it up. We’ll have to scoot it, drag it and slide it and then haul it to the shop,” said Siddall.

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State Law Allows Bidded Projects to be Done by County Employees

Posted on Author WKVI
Starke County Commissioners: Kathy Norem, Dan Bridegroom and Jennifer Davis

Starke County Commission President Dan Bridegroom recently informed his fellow commissioners and the public that a new state law will allow county workers to do county work that was previously bid out.

The jobs done by the county workers cannot exceed $100,000 and the workers must demonstrate the skills and training to do the work.

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Bridge #51 Closed in Starke County

Posted on Author WKVI
Steve Siddall

Starke County Highway Superintendent Steve Siddall came before the Commissioners yesterday and reported on two bridges in the county.

The first bridge, #51 was closed last week. Siddall said the caps, that were wooden and placed on the bridge in the 1950s, have crushed and failed. He said that this was a bridge that was scheduled to be replaced.

“Several years ago, I’m going to say 10 or 12 years ago, they set up a program to replace these bridges and put them by category by year,” said Siddall. “If we were still on that, this year that bridge was scheduled to be replaced. It will be bid out in the spring.”

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Starke County Bridge #156 to Open by End of October

Posted on Author WKVI
County bridge #156 over the Robbins Ditch

Starke County Highway Superintendent, Steve Siddall, brought county officials up to date on the Range Road and 500 North bridge project this week.

“They weren’t going to remove the bridge on Saturday but they ended up taking it out on Friday,” said Siddall. “When I went up there Saturday, they were already starting to pour the caps and the beams are sitting on a trailer ready to come right now. They’re just waiting for the IDEM permit to come in. If INDOT is in a hurry, INDOT will give it to them. It should be up there Thursday by the latest.”

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Work Almost Complete on Bridge in Brems

Posted on Author WKVI
County bridge #156 over the Robbins Ditch

The bridge at Range Road and 400 North is almost complete. Yesterday, crews were pouring cement at the site and the bridge should be demolished on Thursday. Highway Superintendent, Steve Siddall, explains what comes next.

“They have to set their forms up and get ready for the abutment to hold the pre-cast box beams to go on it,” said Siddall. “Then the box beams will be delivered, they will set them into place, then they’ll form up and pour the top over it and we should be almost done.”

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Starke County Commissioners Consider Moving Drug Testing

Posted on Author WKVI
IU Health Starke Hospital

The Starke County Commissioners are considering moving the drug testing of some government employees, including the highway department, to Midwest Toxicology. At this week’s Commissioners meeting, Highway Superintendent, Steve Siddall, said when he sends an employee to IU Health Starke Hospital, it could take hours for them to have the drug test administered. In case the Emergency Room is busy, they must wait. Siddall said that he fully understood that the ER room takes precedent, but that with Midwest Toxicology there would be no waiting period.

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Commissioners Approve Hire of Project Overseer for Bridge Project

Posted on Author WKVI
Steve Siddall

Starke County Highway Superintendent Steve Siddall and Ken Minett from Butler, Fairman, and Seufert met with the Starke County Commissioners regarding the hire of a project inspector to oversee the repairs on Bridge 156. The County has had an inspector for all bridge projects in the past, and the previous Superintendent was qualified to inspect and oversee these projects as well.

Minett told the Commissioners that hiring an inspector is paramount to the safety of the bridge, because it’s possible for contractors to leave out vital rebar, use incorrect steel, or make a small mistake that could sacrifice the integrity of the structure. Without an inspector, said Minett, the consequences are unknown and could be staggering.

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Robbins Ditch Bridge Project Moves Forward

Posted on Author WKVI
County bridge #156 over the Robbins Ditch

Starke County Highway Superintendent, Steve Siddall told WKVI News that Bridge #156 over the Robbins Ditch at Range Road and 400 North is scheduled to go into the construction phase soon. Bids will be opened for construction work on August 4th.

Some immediacy was put on this bridge after it was closed because it is so heavily used by farmers. The fall season is a critical time for moving grain. The County Commissioners put a priority tag on #156 for this reason.

Engineering for the project is being done by Butler-Fairmont and Seufert, with Ken Minot, the representative.

Once construction begins, the bidder has 80 days to complete the work on the bridge.

Starke County Highway Department to Keep Intersections Clear of Vegetation

Posted on Author WKVI

Starke County Commission President, Dan Bridegroom told Highway Superintendent Steve Siddall that, “It’s been a mystery to me how some farmers can plant their last row right up to the roadway.” Bridegroom told Siddall that the crews need to be out cutting down the intersections. Corn crops are a danger when its planted too close to the road. Many drivers in cars and trucks have to “nose” out into an intersection to see if all is clear.

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Bridge 156 Project Still Hopeful to be Complete by Fall Harvest

Posted on Author WKVI
County bridge #156 over the Robbins Ditch

The Starke County Commissioners received a promising update regarding Bridge 156 over the Robbins Ditch on Range Road on Monday. Surveys are expected to be done soon, Debco has provided the loads on the trusses, and everything is expected to be back in operating order in time for our local farmers to use the road during their busy harvest season.

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Starke County Commissioners Discuss Fuel Prices with the Highway Superintendent

Posted on Author WKVI
Steve Siddall

At the most recent Starke County Commissioner’s meeting, Highway Superintendent, Steve Siddall, was quizzed on the situation with rising fuel prices. Commission President, Dan Bridegroom, made the observation that some counties were cutting back on their mowing of county roadways to conserve fuel. He said that he understood that at least two counties were going to only be mowing the intersections.

Siddall talked with Ted Hayes after the meeting about the plans here.

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Starke County Commissioners Discuss Bridge Repair

Posted on Author WKVI
County bridge #156 over the Robbins Ditch

The Starke County Commissioners held a lengthy discussion with all involved in the bridge #156 reconstruction or rehabilitation. The bridge, located at 400 North and Range Road, has been closed for approximately a month.

“It is an inconvenience with Range Road being closed, not only just for the farmers but for businesses as well as the Highway Department, schools, EMS, mail carriers, and any other emergency vehicle, ” said Starke County Highway Superintendent, Steve Siddall. “We really want to try and open that back up as soon as possible. The biggest thing is the permits from the DNR. The permits could hold us up for at least six months and hopefully the DNR wouldn’t do that, but you never know.”

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Robbins Ditch Overflows

Posted on Author WKVI
The Robbins Ditch broke out - looking North just east of Range Road on the south side of Robbins Ditch

Starke County Highway Superintendent Steve Siddall reports that the Robbins Ditch at 400 North and Range Road in Starke County has overflowed its banks and has flooded the road and surrounding fields. The road is closed until further notice.

Photos provided by Becky Pulver of Brems. Continue reading →