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Orange County Facing Grim News On Road Project

Last updated on Friday, November 21, 2014

(PAOLI) - Orange County Board of Commissioners President Don Brewer had some grim news to share after a slide occurred on a major fill on the new road project between French Lick Municipal Airport and State Road 145.

The Loogootee Tribune reports that engineering firm CTL has been studying the problem and trying to come up with a solution. If all of the dirt fill is removed and replaced with a stone-based compacting fill, the price tag could be in the ballpark of $1 million.

Brewer says the Indiana Department of Transportation would cover 80 percent of that, under the terms previously agreed upon for the road's cost sharing plan, leaving the county on the hook for approximately $200,000.

The county is still trying to come to terms with INDOT on whether or not cost-share dollars are available for CTL's study. Initial boring work by the firm came in at approximately $18,000, and the cost for formulating the plan for the ultimate fix is expected to cost $73,000.

But there is more bad news, officials discovered two holes in the new road's ditch line up the hill from State Road 145.This is an area where rock had to be blasted out for the construction.

Burgess & Niple, the engineering firm on that project, is bring in another outside firm to put cameras down the holes to investigate. The cost around $3,000-$4,000.

Since a karst study was conducted before the work began, Councilman John Noblitt wants to know why situations like these are developing now.

Work on the road's bridge over French Lick Creek is progressing. The deck is on the bridge now and concrete should be poured before the end of the month.

"It's coming along," he shared. "It's slow, but they are still making progress."

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