Redkey awards contract (07/30/2008)

REDKEY - A contract has been awarded for an extensive street reconstruction project which may not begin until 2009.

E & B Paving, Anderson, has been awarded the contract for the $3.2 million project, which will cover .8 mile of Meridian Street (Ind. 1), between Wayne Avenue at the south edge of town, and Boyce Street, which crosses Ind. 1 just south of Ind. 67 .

Utility work on the project may start this year. However, the street work likely won't start until next year, an Indiana Department of Transportation official said this morning.

Harry Maginity, INDOT public information officer for the Greenfield District, said the project is needed because of drainage problems on the street. In some places, the street is level with the curbs, and water collects on the roads after rains.

Also, the old brick base of the street is deteriorating, requiring the roadbed to be replaced.

The project includes raising the height of the street in some places, and the creation of storm sewers, drains, curbs, gutters and sidewalks. The start of the construction depends on how long it takes to locate and move the utilities, Maginity said.

"This could be a build for next year," he said, adding that INDOT's construction season ends Nov. 15.

E & B Paving will be paid $3,179,716 for the construction. Maginity said he did not know how long the project might take, but similar projects have taken about a year.

During the construction, at least one lane will be open, with flaggers at the work sites. He said the street likely will be open to local traffic only, and there will be a detour outlined.

The project is being funding through Indiana's Major Moves. The portion of Meridian Street that will be rebuilt intersects with 12 other streets.

Maginity said he does not know for sure when the project will start because INDOT officials have not yet held a preconstruction meeting with E & B officials.[[In-content Ad]]