A plan to reconstruct an overpass and intersection near Claypool will be modified to make way for new railroad infrastructure, according to Kosciusko County Commissioner Bob Conley.Conley attended a meeting in Indianapolis late last month with state and local officials involved in planning for the project. At Tuesday's commissioners meeting, Conley reported on the Indianapolis meeting. The project has been in the works for at least two years with the cooperative efforts of officials from the Indiana Department of Transportation, Kosciusko County, the town of Claypool, Louis-Dreyfus Commodities, and Norfolk Southern railroad company. The goal is to modify the overpass at the intersection of Ind. 15 and CR 700S, just west of Claypool, to meet Indiana Department of Transportation standards.
Conley said United Consulting, an Indianapolis engineering firm, completed a study and the project was slated for 2010. However, Conley said, at last month's meeting, Norfolk Southern requested two new railroad rails to run under the overpass which were not included in the engineering study.
Conley said the two new rails will require the overpass to be redesigned again; it will have to be higher and wider. The redesign, Conley said, will require the intersection with CR 700S to be relocated a quarter to a half of a mile north of the overpass.
"What we'd like to do if we can get cooperation from landowners in the area is bring it further to the north," said Conley, "move the intersection away from the overpass and increase the line of sight."
Conley said moving the intersection will require the purchase of land in the area, but he said the project should not cost the county.
"At the county level, we're pretty insistant that if INDOT wants this project done, they pay for it; that the county not have any expense in this thing," Conley said.
Conley said the commissioners will send a letter to Dist. 22 Rep. Bill Rupel asking him to seek state funding for the project.
"Make it as safe as possible with as little cost to the county as possible - that's our goal," Conley said.
Conley said even though the overpass engineering plan needs to be re-done, there is still a possibility of keeping the project on the same timeline. He said it will depend on good communication between each party involved. "It's aggressive, but it can be done," Conley said.
