VALPARAISO | With bids for the realignment of the north entrance to Eastport Centre Drive scheduled to be opened next Thursday, the city is hoping the factors that could cause higher bids will be offset by factors that reduce them.

The project originally was estimated to cost $234,000 in January 2007, but it was to be part of a larger project involving the improvements to Ind. 2 at the entrance to the new Porter's Vale shopping center. Combining it with the shopping center would have eliminated some redundancy for the contractor and created some economies of scale.

The project was postponed by the city's Redevelopment Commission and was pushed back to 2009 because of funding uncertainties and to complete the design work for a right turn lane on Ind. 2 into the adjoining Washington Highlands subdivision.

Mayor Jon Costas and several other city officials observed the intersection recently and were concerned about the safety of large trucks turning into Eastport Centre from eastbound Ind. 2. The trucks have difficulty maneuvering the two 90-degree turns, especially when vehicles are in the opposite lane of Eastport Centre Drive.

The decision was made to reconstruct the entrance this year, reducing the angle of the turns considerably and realigning the intersection with Mariposa Drive, which leads to the former Natural Ovens dome. The cost now is estimated at $300,000, not including the turn lane for Washington Highlands, which will be done next year.

"The situation is compounded by student traffic from Ivy Tech," the commission's Executive Director Stuart Summers told the commission. "Trucks have to either turn in the oncoming lane or into the median. While it works today, it will be worse with snow and ice next winter."

Chief Deputy City Engineer Tim Burkman said bidding the project this late in the season could increase the price. However, with several city projects wrapping up at about the time this project would start, he said it might increase the competition and lower the bids. Several contractors already expressed interest by last Thursday's commission meeting.

The project is expected to take about six weeks to complete and will require blocking the entrance to Eastport Centre from Ind. 2. The commission authorized spending up to $300,000 for the project with the funding coming from a combination of savings on other projects and new revenue.

The savings is from the proposed interim improvements to the intersection of Silhavy and Vale Park roads. The commission decided to hire police to direct traffic during peak hours rather than put in turn lanes and signals, which would be removed when a roundabout is built there in a couple of years. That saved about $195,000.

The revenue is coming from the sale of the former Red Hots property at the northeast corner of LaPorte Avenue and Sturdy Road. The commission approved the sale of the property last week to Suman Das for a total of $350,000 for construction of an office building. An adjoining parcel also will be sold to Das for $150,005.

The cost estimate was reduced by $45,000 by deciding to use the city's project management staff to oversee the work rather than hire an outside contractor. If bids are acceptable, construction could start by late September.