by Kevin Smith
Logansport and Cass County officials are waiting to find out from the Indiana Department of Transportation how much funding will be released for the Chase Road widening project.
This month, Logansport Mayor Mike Fincher, County Commissioner Dave Arnold, Planning Director Stan Williams, Cass County highway department project coordinator Jeff Smith and Logansport Economic Development Foundation president Skip Kuker gave a presentation to INDOT in LaPorte on the project’s progress.
Officials from Logansport and Cass County were joined by government officials from Plymouth, Monticello and Rensselaer who are all competing for a share of a $2.7 million federal grant.
Next week, officials will find out how much they will receive.
Last year, INDOT released $275,000 for work on Chase Road, but Fincher said he hoped the project would be awarded more this year.
“The total cost of the project is estimated to be $4 million,” Fincher said. “We received $275,000 last year for the starting process, and we hope to receive at least twice that this year. But whatever we get, we’ll have to act with.”
Improvements to Chase Road are a priority for both the city and county even during a period of tight budgets.
The narrow road is a popular short cut for motorists traveling to and from the north and east sides of Logansport, runs for just under a mile between Davis and Michigan roads.
Officials say the current condition of the road is unsuitable for the estimated 3,900 vehicles that use it every day, and with the new Wal-Mart Supercenter set to go up on the east side of town, officials expect use of the road to increase.
Smith said the road was clearly in need of an upgrade .
“We hope it can be like the improvements made to Davis Road, Market and Broadway,” Smith said. “It is a high traffic road that is certainly in need of attention.”
He added that the city and county hoped to use the new funds to buy right of way for the expanded road, continue planning and surveying of the area and conduct engineering work. He was unsure, though, when construction might begin.
“We are trying to have it ready to go as soon as possible, but in reality, it will be a year from now at the earliest before we see construction,” Smith said.
Fincher said it was likely construction of the road would be divided into three parts. Construction would start on the east side and then move to the west end before finishing with the middle portion. Funding for all three segments would be sought individually, he said.
Nearly $250,000 in County Economic Development Income Tax money has also been set aside for the project.
Kuker said the funds would be used to pay Cross Roads Engineering, which will carry out the required studies for traffic and environmental impact and determine how much will be need to be spent on right of way.
He said that the positive developments in Logansport warrant the development of Chase Road, but he said how much the project would be awarded would depend on the strength of the local presentation compared to those of the other communities competing for funding.
“The money will go to the project that has more economic value” Kuker said. “But I know from driving that road that it needs to be widened.”
Kevin Smith can be contacted at (574) 732-5148 or via e-mail at kevin.smith@pharostribune.com
