Highway Superintendent Peters updates commissioners on bridge projects

Progress continues on the bridge replacement project over the Yellow River on Randolph Street in Plymouth. 

During Monday’s County Commissioner meeting, Highway Superintendent Jason Peters said LaPorte Construction formed bent 1 and poured the lower portion last week.  Fort Wayne Reinforcement was onsite to place and tie all the rebar in the bent.  (A bridge bent is a supporting structure within a bridge, typically consisting of a cap and one or more columns, or piles, that are used to support the bridge deck and transfer loads down to the foundation.)

This week, LaPorte Construction plans to erect the formwork for pier two, and Fort Wayne Reinforcement will be onsite to place and tie all the rebar in the pier.  Peters said, “If all goes well, LaPorte Construction hopes to pour pier two by mid-week and will strip the formwork from bent one.”

Superintendent Peters said the letting date for bridge # 231 on Center Street in Bremen is set for 2027.  He said a consulting party appeal has been made to change the historical bridge designation from “non-select” to “select”.  The appeal is under review by INDOT’s Historic Bridge Specialist.

The geotechnical field work is expected to happen in May.  Once the final dates are determined, Peters and the Town of Bremen will be notified by the state.  Peters told the commissioner, “Because of the historic process, the project has been pushed out to fiscal year 2028 and has a new letting date of August 2027.