Build Indiana Council Daily News Summary

Carey Stranahan, Kokomo


The Build Indiana Council sends out a daily summary of road related news from around Indiana. If you would like to receive this daily email, contact Mimi Darwish at Triad. It is interesting to see how our membership is impacting statewide issues. As an example, below is yesterday's email:


Small bridge planned on SR 57 over Prairie Creek
The Washington Times-Herald
7/28/08

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) is developing plans for the proposed replacement of the small structure over a tributary to Prairie Creek on State Road (SR) 57 and the improvements to the SR 57 and County Road 500 North (CR 500N) intersection. The project is located about 5.54 miles north of Old US 50 in Daviess County. The total project length is about 0.11 mile. The SR 57 roadway grade level will be raised about 0.4 feet maximum south of the structure. The roadway through the structure will provide two 12-foot travel lanes with 6-foot shoulders. The existing culvert will be replaced with a precast concrete culvert with a 36-foot clear roadway width. The new culvert will be located about 15 feet north of the existing culvert. Construction of the project will require approximately 0.9 acre of new permanent right-of-way. The temporary runaround will be constructed on the east side of SR 57 and will require 2.2 acres of temporary right-of-way. Total cost of the project is estimated at $1,071,746. At present, we are planning to use both state and federal funds for construction of the project. http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001JqxTrmuWi350nV0p67kCXlrwGnzL4ziBxQO1kabmiIxaP7v6hr8ozohuTvdkOvp5Y1FOG9c3u799G0MFjdjXyBw9FqSHLGynjSDWLoC9O6F0irauxpu7W77vCytrgfQmBBuZy2C5mM0iTPLC-yuKNUmmGYVfn2M5VUJwUFxFPiE3CGeQhiyiQw==



Taylor Street closing set
Fort Wayne Journal Gazette
Anne Gregory
7/28/08

Starting Tuesday, Taylor Street will be closed from Ardmore Avenue to Portage Boulevard. The Fort Wayne Traffic Engineering Department said that section of road will be closed to all traffic until about Aug. 15 for the start of the Taylor and Ardmore intersection project that will add turn lanes and a traffic signal. The detour uses Freeman Street, Covington Road and Ardmore Avenue. During this closure, Brooks Construction will construct left-turn lanes in all directions and an auxiliary right-turn lane on Taylor Street for westbound traffic, Monday's announcement said. The project will add additional lanes to Ardmore, making it four lanes from the Covington Road intersection to Taylor. The city is also adding a multiuse trail on the west side of this section of Ardmore. Other work includes new storm sewers, curbs and sidewalks. This $1.25 million project is scheduled to be complete in mid-November. http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001JqxTrmuWi37OARH7fzHXHKcPW0RvNxFAoaNRPDXOJEE7VNWg9OJNmF7oteQyzczvQcJXoFu1g4wy3aDRssEnwBC5F7IGxM52Qy1rxMcyZdIYQ-zTv5EV7ZcwXIR2OnS4nlZChcXuVV8J99hMCxzczEy7PDiwmAMzxU0_1tFvJLJUr880zek_MMWk1tzTWbN6U-yoFxMwXdR6wwYYgnfUHMA3fsPFPBZ_



Highway fund falls as drivers cut back
Journal & Courier
Larry Copeland
7/29/08

In the latest reflection of $4-a-gallon gas, Americans drove 9.6 billion fewer miles in May than in May 2007, a 3.7 percent decline that is the largest drop in miles traveled for any May, the federal government reported Monday. Traffic normally increases in May, which ends with the Memorial Day holiday weekend that marks the traditional start of the summer driving season. The decline was the third-largest monthly drop in the 66 years that the Federal Highway Administration has tracked miles driven. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters said the continued decline in driving signals long-term changes in the nation's transportation habits and highlights the need to find new ways to pay for roads and bridges. "Fewer trips are being made to conventional service stations, and we expect that to continue," Peters said. "Our approach to transportation in America needs to change." The federal Highway Trust Fund, which funds road construction with gas taxes, faces a $3.1 billion shortfall in fiscal year 2009 because drivers are buying less gas. Peters plans to unveil a plan today in Atlanta that will "refocus, reform and renew" the government's approach to transportation funding. http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001JqxTrmuWi36oRvhPKs1Q3dvmwhcL7clgQYn8o05dVQl2rqPvWcf4YACMAF8mwlXmN4tGrlooWsx2_2GYcgjrQac76uIaM1ARUYXQlrstV4KOtJZ3V0Usgc683OZ2X1OYJ0tTHKTQImZap8dGR3W1ooUdhK08IbHJg_5iHSihKSnaOBd72Vr3leTyd4j7GCWHYuJwILOmNmI=



Roundabouts project gets turned down
3-2 vote approves 'change order' for 2 of 3 roundabouts
The Tribune-Star
Arthur Foulkes
7/28/08

TERRE HAUTE - The Terre Haute Board of Public Works and Safety approved plans Monday to eliminate the last two remaining roundabouts, or traffic circles, on the Brown Boulevard project. In a 3-2 vote Monday afternoon, the board voted to approve a "change order," which is a change in an existing city agreement. The change order eliminated the final two of three roundabouts that had been planned for the project. "We approved a change order but we did not make the decision" to eliminate the roundabouts, said board member Robert Murray after the meeting in City Hall. "Concern about whether there should or should not be [roundabouts] should be directed to [Mayor Duke Bennett] and the engineering department, he said. The original decision to build roundabouts in the Brown Boulevard project was very controversial in 2004, said board president Bill Lower. "Now it's the reverse," he said. Bennett's main concern had to do with truck traffic near the planned roundabouts, he said. The mayor also was concerned about school bus and student traffic at a planned roundabout near Terre Haute North Vigo High School, Ennis said. http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001JqxTrmuWi34seC5rMDqScM7Hu0ZG81z9DG4lpoSbuMHoaeNU3z7gEdFjndUZZcBwMNxaOjFi6IYcP7Xtcp9N-A5kNNdzz9fAreH4Pp_0VLyP7B11Mh6PzJURVYFnA6E5FC2hykhQ444ZhEL1e5G2i-5Ag8NlbXeN

Job Opening - West Lafayette

Carey Stranahan, Kokomo

West Lafayette is looking for an assistant City Engineer. You can view the job description here. If your city or town has any openings in the engineering department, feel free to pass them along and we will post them on the website, as well as this blog.

LTAP Executive Meeting - July 24, 2008

Carey Stranahan, Kokomo
David Buck, West Lafayette

For those of you that do not know, IACE has a seat on the LTAP Executive Board. LTAP serves local communities by:

• Increasing transportation expertise at the state and local levels
• Providing a channel for materials prepared at the national level for local use
• Promoting the effective use of research findings and innovations for improving transportation
• Meeting the needs of transportation personnel on local areas with tailored resource materials

The LTAP executive board meets quarterly. David Buck, Vice President, is IACE's representative.

The highlight from today's meeting was a discussion on bulk salt purchasing and what role LTAP could play to help coordinate a purchasing policy that might involve the state. This would hopefully allow better prices and adequate quantities. Some other items covered were changing the by-laws to allow proxy votes and purchasing a new LTAP display booth. The by-laws were not changed because the majority of members felt it was important to have the actual individuals attend the meetings and the board agreed to allow the purchase of a new display for $2500. Reports were also given on the recent National Conf. for LTAP and the upcoming newsletter.

INDOT - LPA Process Improvement Project

Carey Stranahan, Kokomo

INDOT, in conjunction with ACEC, is looking into improving the LPA project delivery process. It was initiated when Commissioner Browning discovered the average time frame for bringing LPA projects to construction was 7 years. This initiative is being fast-tracked; a draft process will be available this fall. I am on the Plan Development committee. Chris Pope from United Consulting is chairing the committee. Jodi Coblentz from INDOT (formerly Cass County Engineer) is also on the committee, as well as several others.
Some of the improvements center around putting more responsibility on LPAs and consultants to ensure quality plans, reducing the plan submissions, as well as perhaps allowing local bidding. If you have any suggestions for improving the process, let me know. Better yet, feel free to post them as comments on the blog.
These process improvements may cover all forms of federal aid, including TE, HSIP, earmarks, STP, etc.

Professional Engineer License Reminder

By Carey Stranahan, Kokomo

Don't forget to renew you PE license. Renewals are due by the end of the month. Simply go to http://www.in.gov/pla/license.htm and follow the instructions. It will take you about five minutes.

Inaugural Post

By Carey Stranahan, Kokomo


IACE was founded with the intention of bringing together ideas from city engineers across the state to improve the proficiency and efficiency of engineering departments, thereby allowing communities to meet the growing challenges of improving public services in an evermore difficult economic environment. Communication among the members is essential to reach this goal. IACE has started this blog to increase and improve the communication among its members.

Right now, we have no set policy for posts, other than that posts will come exclusively from our membership. Comments are being encouraged from all members. As readership increases, any issues will be addressed by the board.

I expect topics will cover whatever issues we are facing, including street, sewer, and water standards, policies, utility coordination, new technologies, contract management, what has worked, and what hasn't worked. I encourage all members who are or have recently faced a challenge and worked it out to email me about the experience. I will also post the outcome of meetings wither I or other members attend on behalf of the organization. Also, if anyone is facing a difficult challenge and wants to ask the membership about, let me know the I'll pose the question.

For now, I encourage you to subscribe using the tool on the right. If you don't use a blog reader, check back here often to view posts and comments. I hope to get at least one post per week.