INDOT: Report problems to us

Improving transportation requires better communication.
Indiana Department of Transportation officials told local officials and residents Thursday the best way to alert their organization of problems is through use of its customer service contacts. They also heard concerns from local residents, addressed upcoming projects and talked about INDOT operations.
In a meeting sparked by a Feb. 9 editorial in The Commercial Review that was critical of INDOT and its efforts in Jay County, deputy commissioner for the Greenfield District Brandye Hendrickson said using the customer service contacts is the best way to get problems solved efficiently.
She noted that doing so starts a paper trail that will allow officials to track complaints and make sure they are being addressed.
Issues can be reported by visiting the INDOT Greenfield District website — greenfield.indot.in.gov — and clicking on the “Report a Concern” link on the right side of the page. Customers can also email [email protected] or call (855) 463-6848.
“Sending everything through customer service is going to be the best way to get quick action,” said Hendrickson. “It’s just a way for us to be able to monitor and track everything that comes in.”
Problems like potholes, missing grates and other maintenance issues are items that can and should be fixed in a timely fashion if reported through the correct channels. Many such issues were on a list of concerns compiled by Portland Mayor Randy Geesaman in advance of the meeting.
“A lot of the things on this list we can do,” said Nick Barbknecht, INDOT’s intergovernmental affairs director. “When there’s a pothole we need to get some asphalt in it and fix it. We need to fix it right.”
Among the areas of concerns raised by local officials and residents at the meeting were Indiana 26 (Water Street) on the east side of Portland, U.S. 27 between Portland and Bryant and Indiana 167 north of Dunkirk. Such major projects, including the work slated for Indiana 26 East this summer, take more time and are dependent on funding.
Barbknecht noted that project funding is based on studying “every inch of pavement in our state,” with the roads that are in the worst shape being a priority. He noted that all of INDOT’s money for capital projects is now going to preservation of roads, with no plans for expansion.
The other issue raised by several residents was their perception that repairs often seem to be of the short-term variety rather than permanent fixes. They pointed to Indiana 26 (Water Street) in Portland and U.S. 27 near county road 400 North as areas where potholes seem to reappear within weeks after being filled.
Those problems are important, Hendrickson said, and she proposed making more regular visits to the county in order to make sure residents’ concerns are being addressed.
“We travel the district all the time … and I would love to have a meeting like this, well in advance of an editorial in the paper,” she said. “We want the chance to fix it before it rises to that level of passion.”

The officials noted that there is patching work planned for U.S. 27 north of Portland once the weather improves, and presented a list of INDOT projects in Jay County that are set for bidding in the next 18 months.
Those include:
•The Indiana 26 East project, which was bid this week.
•Repair and replacement of joints on the bridge over Wolf Creek on Indiana 18 west of Bryant in July.
•Paving of U.S. 27 from Bryant to Geneva in October.
•Reconstruction and realignment of Indiana 26 from Indiana 1 to Indiana 67 in March 2016.
•Improvements for the U.S. 27 (Meridian Street) intersection with U.S. 26/67 (Votaw Street) in July 2016.
The full list is available on the INDOT Greenfield District website.
In commenting on the overall state of roads, Jay County engineer and Dunkirk Mayor Dan Watson expressed concern about allowing deterioration beyond the point of no return. He noted that he understands funding is an issue, but that those in state government must do something in order to fix the problem.
“When (Barbknecht) says it’s not a crisis, I don’t know at what point we get where we say it’s not a crisis,” said Watson, referencing a comment the INDOT official had made earlier in the meeting. “Because every survey that you see that’s done on infrastructure in the state of Indiana, it’s a crisis.
“They know how bad it is. They know what our needs are. They know what the money is.
“But yet, nobody seems to want to make that step.”