City, INDOT combine projects

Members of the Portland Board of Works approved a plan Thursday they are hoping will save the city $200,000 on the Indiana 26 East (Water Street) project. The board also hired a new police officer.
The biggest change to the estimated $4.6 million project includes combining bids for road work, which is being paid for by Indiana Department of Transportation, and utilities and sidewalks, which are mostly being paid for by the City of Portland. According to Mark Jesse of GAI Consultants, the single bid will consolidate costs, including those for movement of personnel and equipment.
Jesse added that INDOT will be paying for the asphalt and pavement repair associated with the trenches, waterlines and sewers.
Combined, the changes dropped the total estimated local costs of the project from $1.86 million to $1.63 million, a savings of $228,700 for the city.
“It’s a complicated project, especially on the sewer side,” said Jesse. “There’s going to be one big hole down the road between all this. The sewer on the city side, all the storm sewer on the INDOT side and the water main too so we’ve got a lot of activity going down.”
Activity that is warranted, said Mayor Randy Geesaman.
“We have 75 to 100-year-old sewer lines and there’s no sense in putting in new roads over 75 to 100-year-old water and sewer lines,” he said.
Bids for the project will be opened Wednesday. Construction is slated to begin in late April, and a completion date is set for November.
The project includes construction of a new road from Meridian Street (U.S. 27) to the eastern city limits. There will also be new sewer and water lines, sidewalks and LED lighting.
Other improvements coming with the project include the widening of Wayne Street in front of East Jay Middle School and a widening to the entrance to Morton Street off of Water Street.

INDOT is paying for the street work, estimated at $2.7 million, and is also contributing $500,000 toward the sewer work. The rest of the cost will fall to the city.
A public meeting with the selected contractor and an INDOT representative is scheduled for 6 p.m. March 31 at East Jay Middle School.
Board members Bill Gibson, Jerry Leonhard and Mayor Geesaman also hired Michael Theurer as a new officer for Portland Police Department. He previously worked for three years at Hancock County Sheriff’s Department and a has bachelor’s degree in law enforcement from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.