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Now that the Kosciusko County Commissioners have established a Western Alternative Route corridor, county highway superintendent and engineer Rob Ladson is ready to move ahead.
Tuesday, Ladson asked for permission from the commissioners to pursue a preliminary design contract with The Troyer Group for phase one of the project. The commissioners approved but still will have to approve the contract and fees once The Troyer Group provides them.
The corridor begins near CR 400S and travels southwest of Goose Lake to approximately CR 350W, give or take a quarter of a mile. The proposed corridor would travel north until approximately Crystal Lake Road, and then travel north along CR 300W, crossing U.S. 30 at the closed rest park. In the area of CRs 450N to 500N, it would travel east to Ind. 15. As many back property fence lines as possible will be used. The proposed corridor then goes north on Ind. 15, but before going through Milford, it turns northwest to the Elkhart County line.
Ladson said the project will be broken into two phases. Each phase will contain three parts. There is no timeline or starting dates for the phases at this time.
Phase 1 is from U.S. 30 south to Ind. 15. The first part of that phase will be from U.S. 30 to Crystal Lake Road. The second part is from Crystal Lake Road to Ind. 25. Finally, the third part of phase 1 is from Ind. 25 to Ind. 15.
Phase 2 includes the work from U.S. 30N to the Elkhart County Line. Part 1 of phase 2 is from U.S. 30 to Ind. 15. Part 2 is from Ind. 15 to south of the Milford area. And part 3 is from south of Milford to the Elkhart County line.
A third phase may be to widen the corridor from two lanes to three or four lanes. The third phase may not happen for up to 30 years or more.
Ladson told the commissioners he is pursuing federal funding for the project.
The commissioners approved for Ladson to get a contract and fees estimate from The Troyer Group for the design of a roundabout at Fox Farm Road and Old Road 30.
Ladson also had several other highway matters to discuss with the commissioners.
While putting all the railroad crossings, speed zones and stop signs into the county's Geographical Imaging System, Ladson said, they found three mobile home parks with stop signs from the parks' private drives onto county-maintained roads. They really are private drives, the signs have never been maintained, but the county does have ordinances for them.
The mobile home parks are Lamp Lite Trailer Park, Lite Breeze Trailer Park and Fahl Mobile Home Park.
Ladson recommended the commissioners repeal the ordinances for the stop signs but leave the stop signs up.
Commissioner Ron Truex said he was concerned about safety if the stop signs were taken out. Ladson said the stop signs would remain, there just would be no ordinance to enforce the stop signs. If the ordinance is not repealed, the county would have to maintain those stop signs.
The commissioners approved repealing the ordinances but leaving the stop signs . The county is not responsible for the signs' maintenance.
Two-and-a-half years ago, the county agreed to close the crossing at CR 450E and CSX Railroad if two other railroad crossings in the county were upgraded with lights and gates. The railroad also would pay the county $20,000.
The CR 450E railroad crossing has been closed and the other crossings have been upgraded.
Tuesday, Ladson asked the commissioners to repeal the stop sign at the railroad crossing, officially vacate CR 450E from U.S. 30 to Wooster Road, and approve a declaration of non-county maintenance for the stretch of road. The commissioners approved. Ladson said he sent a letter to CSX requesting the funds promised.
A wage determination hearing was held for the Bridge 289 reconstruction project, east of Lake Wawasee on Cedar Point Drive. However, of the five-member board, one person was unable to attend and three different wages were presented. As Ladson wants to let the bids Sept. 7, he asked the commissioners to determine the wages as allowed by statute. However, county attorney Mike Miner said the board had to have more time to come to a decision. If the wage committee can't come to a determination by the Aug. 24 commissioners meeting, the county commissioners then can decide.
In other business, the commissioners:
• Approved awarding the Flagstone Terrace pavement and drainage project to LDP Excavating Inc. for $138,916.85.
• Approved a lease agreement with Mutual Federal Savings Bank for the installation of an ATM machine in the Justice Building.
• Approved signing a grant application for the Kosciusko Area Bus Service for approximately $328,000 for operating funds and $67,513 in capital funds.
• Approved an ordinance for the installation of stop signs in Shull Addition, Zimmer Road, south of Old Road 30.
• Received a report of what emergency management director Ed Rock has done since he started in his position and the grants the county received through his work.
County commissioners are Avis Gunter, southern district; Ron Truex, middle district; and Brad Jackson, northern district. They meet at 9 a.m. every other Tuesday in the county courthouse, Warsaw.
