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Last updated on Wednesday, August 8, 2018
(MORGANTOWN) - The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) will conduct a public hearing regarding proposed bridge rehabilitation on State Road 135 over Indian Creek, 0.3 mile south of State Road 252 in Morgan County.
The purpose of the public hearing is to offer all interested persons an opportunity to comment on draft environmental documentation and preliminary design plans. A public hearing is scheduled on Thursday, August 16, beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Morgan County Public Library, 79 West Washington St. in Morgantown.
The S.R. 135 steel Parker through truss Bridge No. 135-55-01522B, National Bridge Inventory (NBI) No.026700 over Indian Creek, built in 1934, is determined to be eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) under Criterion A for its association with a statewide trend of improving state roads to access Indiana's state park system.
The bridge has been designated as "Select" in the Indiana Historic Bridge Inventory, which means it is an excellent example for its type and most suitable for preservation. The bridge was processed under the Historic Bridge Programmatic Agreement (PA) for the management and preservation of Indiana's Historic Bridges. Following the "Standard Treatment Approach for Historic Bridges" from the PA, the preferred alternative is to rehabilitate the existing bridge for continued two-way vehicular use and will follow the Secretary of Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation.
Under the preferred rehabilitation alternative, the proposed project would include but not limited to new concrete deck, joint replacement, concrete bridge approach replacement, cleaning and painting the existing truss, and replacing various truss member and floor system members as needed. Scour protection will be placed directly adjacent to the existing piers, which are outside the channel. Upon completion, the temporary bridge will be removed and the site restored. For maintenance of traffic purposes, a temporary bridge will be constructed to the east (upstream) of the existing bridge over Indian Creek so the current bridge may safely be rehabilitated without traffic. A detour of approximately one week will only be required to tie in the approaches from the temporary runaround to the permanent pavement. Temporary disruption of emergency services and school bus routes may occur but will be notified prior to any construction that would block or limit access. The official state maintained detour route will utilize S.R. 252, U.S. 31, I-65, and S.R. 46. Access to all properties will be maintained during construction. The acquisition of permanent right-of-way is anticipated to be part of this project (approximately 1.4 acres) with 0.7 acre of that amount due to reacquisition.
The agenda will afford the public the opportunity to offer formal statements to be recorded as part of the official hearing transcript. Tentative timetables for right-of-way acquisition and construction will be discussed during the formal presentation. Representatives from INDOT will be available to address specific questions before and after the formal hearing process. Please be aware general conversations are not considered part of the official record. All verbal statements recorded during the public hearing and all written comments collected before, during and for a period of two (2) weeks after the hearing date, will be evaluated and addressed in the final environmental document.
Written comments may be submitted prior to the public hearing and within the comment period to the following address: INDOT Public Hearings, IGCN Room N642, 100 North Senate Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46204. The Categorical Exclusion Level 4 (environmental documentation) and preliminary design plans are available to view prior to the public hearing at the following locations:
Morgan County Public Library, Morgantown Branch, 79 W. Washington St. IN 46160 Phone # (812) 597-0889
Indiana Department of Transportation Seymour District Office, 185 Agrico Lane, Seymour, IN 47274, Phone # 1-877-305-7611
With advance notice, INDOT will provide accommodation for persons with disabilities requiring auxiliary aids/services such as sign language interpretation, large print materials and/or materials in alternative formats. In addition, persons with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) requiring auxiliary aids/services such as language translation and document conversion are encouraged to contact the INDOT Office of Public Involvement at (317) 232-6601, or email rclark@indot.in.gov.
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