The Chesterton Redevelopment Commission’s engineering study for the Dickinson Road extension is proceeding apace.

At the commission’s meeting Monday night, Town Engineer Mark O’Dell reported that he, contracted engineer Mike Jabo of DLZ, and reps from the Northwestern Regional Planning Commission discussed the status of that study at a meeting of the minds last week.

The commission authorized that study—at a cost of $69,640—after NIRPC indicated that more data would be needed before the Dickinson Road extension could be considered for inclusion in NIRPC’s 2040 plan.

Already completed: a comprehensive traffic count based on 17 double-tube counters placed on major roadways around the intended development area, including East Porter Ave., Indian Boundary Road, C.R. 250E and Brummitt Road, 1050N, 1100N, Rail Road, and South Calumet Road.

On the schedule: preliminary soil boring of the property along the anticipated route of the extension, from Indian Boundary Road south to East Porter Ave. via Council Drive. Right now DLZ is working on access rights to the property in question.

Meanwhile, NIRPC has requested a speed study as well, to be conducted on stretches of road between the “count nodes,” that is, between the sites where the double-tube counters were placed.

NIRPC, O’Dell added, “is appreciative of what the town is doing, getting this data.”

When completed, the engineering study should indicate whether the Dickinson Road extension truly is feasible, O’Dell said.

In other business, O’Dell reported that he had a pre-construction meeting last week with the general contractor for the Ind. 49 utility corridor project, LGS Plumbing Inc. of Crown Point, which submitted a low bid of $2,880,865.

LGS provided O’Dell with a list of its sub-contractors and is now ordering pipe for the job.

Members voted 3-0 to approve the following claims: $282.33 from Midwestern Electric; $310.68 from Menard’s; $622.50 from Harris Welsh & Lukmann; $1,291.18 from 1st American Management Company; $2,818.19 from Ellis Electric; and $2,875 from DLZ.

Members Paul Tharp and Ed Schoenfelt were not in attendance.

Posted 9/27/2012