Published: December 19, 2008 12:24 pm      

Cass County Highway department report

Highlights from a report to Cass County Commissioners by the highway superintendent Steve Easley:

Easley said that the department was working with Central Paving and IMI to experiment with an alternative to salt and sand for roadways. He said experiments with the new substance, which is made from a combination of salt and calcium chloride, would be conducted on two designated roads at some point this winter.

The department decided to seek alternatives because the price of salt has more than doubled from a year ago. Easley confirmed that the department has received estimates for calcium chloride at far below the cost of road salt.

The department is working to equip two pickup trucks with snow plows by the end of the year. The trucks will aid snow removal in areas where it is easier to maneuver a pickup truck than a dump truck.

Easley reported to the commissioners that on Dec. 9 he attended an early coordination meeting with the Indiana Department of Transportation in LaPorte. He said that several local projects in the Hoosier Heartland project were discussed as well as projects on Chase Road and 300S. INDOT estimates that work will begin on some of Cass County’s Hoosier Heartland projects in July. Other projects outlined in the report included connecting the River Bluff and Little Turtle trails, Ind. 16 from Twelve Mile to U.S. 31 and the restructuring of Logansport’s Third Street bridge over the Eel River.

Easley said that on Dec. 3 he and Jeff Smith attended a course on roadway safety for local road and street crews in Indianapolis. The course encouraged highway departments to implement hazard elimination programs to minimize vehicle accidents. Easley said that the presentation continually reinforced the fact that highway crashes are the leading cause of death in the United States for people between the ages of five and 34.

Easley added that at the conclusion of the program both he and Smith were approached by the program presenters, Rick Drumm and Jeff Shaw, regarding the possibility to implement a pilot hazard elimination program in Cass County. Easley said he would provide more information on the program in the new year.

A portion of funds released for three highway projects will be returned to the general fund after issues were found preventing their completion by the end of 2008.

A project at 500E over Mud Branch Ditch has been put on hold after a study that found savings could be made on the $250,000 originally earmarked for the project. A new project will be submitted in 2009.

Bridges at 650N and Strubhar Ditch and Center Street over Frederick’s Ditch will also not be completed in 2008. Some of the $500,000 apportioned for the projects was used for design, but the remainder will return to the general fund pending resubmission and completion in 2009.

Work has been completed on a bridge south of 700W and 275N.

Easley said that 24 letters had been mailed to residents in and around Anoka outlining plans to change the current speed limit along 475E from 40 mph to 30 mph. The department is awaiting feedback from the residents.