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  • Porter County Director of Development and Storm Water Manager Bob...

    Andy Lavalley / Post-Tribune

    Porter County Director of Development and Storm Water Manager Bob Thompson speaks to a group during breakout sessions at the open house about the Willowcreek Road extension held by American Structurepoint at the Porter County Expo Center in Valparaiso, Indiana Tuesday November 15, 2022. (Andy Lavalley for the Post-Tribune)

  • Porter County Commissioner Barb Regnitz, R-Center, speaks in her office...

    Andy Lavalley / Post-Tribune

    Porter County Commissioner Barb Regnitz, R-Center, speaks in her office at the administration building in Valparaiso, Indiana Friday January 27, 2023. (Andy Lavalley for the Post-Tribune)

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Nearly $4.4 million in bridge funding awards is allowing Porter County to replace three bridges, each costing over $1 million.

Two of the bridges, Bridge 12 and Bridge 61, will receive an 80% federal match. The county will have to come up with the remaining 20% of the replacement budgets to cover engineering costs, which are estimated at $300,000 to $400,000 each.

“What we’ve done with INDOT it’s been very successful,” said Bob Thompson, director of Porter County’s Department of Development and Storm Water Management of the Group 4 funding from the Indiana Department of Transportation. He said INDOT is more receptive to granting awards when counties bear a portion of the financial responsibility.

With the grant funding Thompson told the Porter County Board of Commissioners at its May 23 meeting that construction on these projects is expected to begin in the fall of 2028. Engineering will begin later this summer.

“Congratulations,” said Board of Commissioners Vice President Barb Regnitz, R-Center. “It’s nice to have good news when we get money in instead of having to spend it.”

Porter County Commissioner Barb Regnitz, R-Center, speaks in her office at the administration building in Valparaiso, Indiana Friday January 27, 2023. (Andy Lavalley for the Post-Tribune)
Porter County Commissioner Barb Regnitz, R-Center, speaks in her office at the administration building in Valparaiso, Indiana Friday January 27, 2023. (Andy Lavalley for the Post-Tribune)

Bridge 12 runs over Crooked Creek on County Road 300 South and will receive $1.3 million, while Bridge 61 runs over Breyfogel Ditch on County Road 625 West and will receive nearly $1.6 million. The Northern Indiana Regional Planning Commission (NIRPC) also awarded Porter County nearly $1.5 million to replace Bridge 99 which runs over Salt Creek on County Road 400 North.

In other bridge maintenance news, the county has opted to use local funds to replace Bridge 40 that crosses Reeve’s Ditch on County Road 100 South. The bridge used to belong to INDOT but when the Indiana 49 bypass was opened up, North Calumet Avenue became Porter County’s road.

“It was deteriorating faster than we thought,” Thompson said. Load limit testing determined it could only handle an 8-ton limit.

Thompson said a loaded school bus would not be able to cross with that restriction. Ellis Construction was awarded the $1 million bid and construction is expected to take nine to 10 months, as it will take three months just to procure the beams.

DLZ Engineering was awarded $71,200 to do a very detailed inspection of Bridge 1014 on North Calumet Avenue over the CSX Railroad. “The deck is bad,” Thompson told the board. “It doesn’t appear that way, but if you drive on it you’ll see several orange markings.”

DLZ’s study will determine if there is microfracturing in the beams to allow the county to decide if a total deck replacement is feasible or if the entire bridge needs to be replaced. Either way, Thompson said much coordination will be required since the bridge spans a railroad.

The bridge is almost 75 years old. “It’s past its engineering life,” Thompson said. “With the age of this bridge, it may not be smart to do a deck rehabilitation.”

Regnitz asked what replacement would cost and if grants would be available. Thompson estimates it will cost around $2.5 million to replace the almost 100-foot span and said the problem with pursuing federal funding is that it would likely be earmarked for fiscal year 2030.

“The big question is can the deck last that long?” he said.

Shelley Jones is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.