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Tuesday, August 17, 2021
Serving Elkhart County and parts of Noble, LaGrange & Marshall Counties Know Your Neighbor. . . . . 2➤ Speak Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Good Neighbors . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Millersburg Farmer’s Day Fest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Goshen (574) 534-2591
Vol. 49 No. 19
134 S. Main, Goshen, Indiana 46526
The rhyme and reason of road construction %\ 5$< %$/2*+ 6WDII :ULWHU Elkhart County is an industrious place, as attested by the road projects continually dotting the county, particularly during the summer months. Road construction projects consist of two invariable constants: Upon completion they enhance infrastructure and facilitate an improved flow of traffic, and while in progress they present frustrating, sometimes maddening, disruptions to area drivers and residents. For the most part, those who are inconvenienced see only the obvious tangible annoyances — barricades, cones, heavy equipment and detour signs — and respond with a reflexive, “Why this street? Why this week? Why me?” What they often fail to realize is the labyrinthine process of putting a road project in place. The Process Before the first shovel of dirt is excavated or the first chunk of old asphalt is chiseled, most, if not all, of the following legally compliant steps have to happen, sometimes during a period of several years: • Assessing the project to be initiated, usually after a feasibility study or pursuant to a long-term comprehensive redevelopment plan. • Hiring engineering consultants to map out the details of the project, which may occur in several phases. • Conducting required environmental impact studies and obtaining permits. • Scheduling and conducting public hearings for citizen and business input. • Holding city or town council or county commissioner meetings to discuss and vote on matters of budgeting, priorities and timetables. • Coordinating the efforts and resources of various municipal departments, such as street, water, public works, sewer, parks and recreation, controller, legal and others. • Obtaining cost estimates for the project. • Planning financing, including applying for state and federal grants, issuing bonds, forming tax increment financing districts and/or raising taxes, fees or assessments. • Determining and initiating eminent domain proceedings to purchase private property where needed. • Composing a request for proposal and conducting the bidding process, complete with public notices. • Awarding the bid and negotiating and executing the construction contract. • Determining detours and accommodations to minimize disruption of businesses in and around the construction zone. • Notifying the public of the estimated duration of road closures and detour routes. Construction deadlines need to remain somewhat malleable, as the work is dependent upon the weather. Elkhart County Highway Department is responsible to maintain and improve the county’s 1,150 miles of roadway outside incorporated municipal limits and all bridge structures in the county not located on state highways. Some of the county’s municipalities maintain maps and schedules on their official websites to keep the public informed of the projects. Individuals can also call the city, town or county to inquire about a specific closure. The state of Indiana and U.S. Department of
*(77,1* %$&. 83 72 63((' ³ :RUNHUV LQ GRZQWRZQ 1DSSDQHH UHLQVWDOO D VWUHHW VLJQ RQ 86 DIWHU UHSODFLQJ IHHW RI ZDWHU PDLQ XQGHU VWUHHWV DQG VLGHZDONV WKURXJKRXW WKH FLW\·V FRUH 7KH PLOOLRQ GROODU LQIUDVWUXFWXUH SURMHFW ZLOO EH FRQGXFWHG LQ IRXU SKDVHV UHSODFLQJ D WRWDO RI PRUH WKDQ IHHW RI ZDWHU PDLQ LQVWDOOHG LQ 7KH ÀUVW SKDVH LV H[SHFWHG WR EH ÀQLVKHG E\ HDUO\ 6HSWHPEHU ´:H KDYH WR KDYH LW GRQH VR ,1'27 FDQ FRPH LQ DQG SDYH 86 WKURXJK 1DS SDQHH WR WKH ZHVW HGJH RI WRZQ µ VDLG *DLO *HUEHU WKH FLW\·V XWLOLWLHV PDQDJHU 3LFWXUHG IURP OHIW DUH %ODLQH .LPEUHOO ODERUHU 0LNH /LQVN\ IRUHPDQ &OLQW $QGHUVRQ SLSH OD\HU NQHHOLQJ *HUEHU DQG 0DUN )LHOGV SURMHFW LQVSHFWRU ZLWK &RPPRQZHDOWK (QJLQHHUV RI )RUW :D\QH 3KRWR E\ 5D\ %DORJK Transportation are also involved in projects respectively involving state and federal highways, and their contact information is included below. Safety First Indiana imposes stiff penalties for unsafe driving within roadway work zones. First-time speeders can expect a $300 fine, with subsequent infractions drawing graduated fines of $500 and $1,000 if committed within a threeyear period. Reckless drivers can face fines up to $5,000, and anyone who injures or kills a worker is subject to a $10,000 fine and up to six years in prison. Most fatal work zone crashes occur in the summer and fall. Municipalities Bristol, www.bristolindiana.org, (574) 848-7007
Elkhart, www.elkhartindiana.org, (574) 2945471 Goshen, www.goshenindiana.org, (574) 5338621 Middlebury, www.middleburyin.com, (574) 825-1499 Millersburg, www.millersburgin.com, (574) 642-3976 Nappanee, www.nappanee.org, (574) 773-2112 Wakarusa, townofwakarusa.com, (574) 8622245 County www.elkhartcounty.com, (574) 533-0538 State www.in.gov/indot, (855) INDOT4U (463-6848) Federal www.transportation.gov, (855) 368-4200