Chesterton Tribune

 

 

Porter Avenue bridge still on track for October 17 completion

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By KEVIN NEVERS

Chesterton Town Engineer hasn’t heard anything to indicate that the Oct. 17 “substantial completion” date for the new East Porter Ave. bridge has been or might be pushed back.

Which means--all things being equal--that the bridge, and thus East Porter Ave., should open to traffic by the middle of next month.

This--to be exact--is what O’Dell told the Redevelopment Commission at its meeting Monday night: “Oct. 17 is the substantial complete date, plus or minus a few minor things. It should be open then.”

O’Dell was responding to Member Jim Ton’s query about when the asphalt will be laid to repair the swath of East Porter Ave. immediately east of South Calumet Road ripped up during the course of the project.

Ton also wanted to know whether some sidewalk on Wilson Street, apparently damaged during the project, would be replaced.

O’Dell said that sidewalk restoration--if the town can prove that it happened as a result of the bridge work--will be a punch list item.

Finally, Ton wondered whether, in addition to putting a fresh coat of asphalt on East Porter Ave. west of the bridge, the contractor can do the same east of the bridge as far as Wilson Street, to make the road surface on that stretch of East Porter Ave. nice and uniform.

O’Dell said that he’d speak to the contractor but suggested that Ton not hold his breath, particularly because it would be on the town’s dime.

And as Town Attorney Chuck Lukmann added, it’s unlikely the commission could legally use tax increment financing funds for that bit of asphalt patch, inasmuch as East Porter Ave. is not actually in the TIF district.

Welcome Aboard

President Jeff Trout took a moment at the end of the meeting to welcome aboard the commission’s newest member: John Swibes, who fills the vacancy left by Paul Tharp’s resignation.

Although, Trout told Swibes, the commission’s meetings are “about as exciting as watching paint dry,” nevertheless “there a lot of significant business that needs to be done by this board.”

 

 

Posted 9/29/2015

 
 
 
 

 

 

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