Legislators secure state funding for Logansport road project

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Last Updated on October 16, 2016 by cassnetwork

The Indiana Department of Transportation plans to pay for 80 percent of unforeseen costs in a Logansport road project, according to a news release from State Rep. Bill Friend (R-Macy).

The project, to improve the intersection at 18th and Main Streets, required the removal of more limestone than expected, with an estimate of an additional $360,000 needed to complete the project.

Friend says when he and Senator Randy Head (R-Logansport) were first informed of the overage, they immediately scheduled a meeting with INDOT and the governor’s office. According to Friend, “when presented with the facts, these offices agreed that significant state assistance was warranted.”

“We sure appreciate this help,” Logansport’s deputy mayor, Mercedes Brugh, said in an e-mail Friday. “Much of this problem came out of errors and omissions in the bid documents that United prepared.  They did not make good use of the information they had about how much limestone is out there, and Deichman relied on those bid documents when they submitted their price for doing the job.  Deichman gave us a reduction in price for rock excavation, and now this help from INDOT is very welcome.  Mayor Kitchell has been working with Rep. Friend and Sen. Head to get this $360,000 problem in front of the highest levels in INDOT, and we thank everyone.”

“City departments have had to cut spending even in the budget that we inherited for 2016, and are having to cut more in the 2017 budget,” Brugh says. ” We must spend less than we take in and gradually build up our savings cushion.  I don’t know how we would have paid the entire cost.  We are grateful to have this much smaller problem of funding 20% of the cost.”

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