KOUTS | With a spring bidding for work at the intersection of Ind. 49 and Ind. 8 out of the question, town officials now are hoping for a fall start to the project.

Town Engineer James Mandon said the project was pushed back because of discussions about changing the size of the storm sewer. He said the Indiana Department of Transportation now intends to fast track the engineering in order to award the bid by late summer or early fall.

That would mean relocating power lines, water mains and manholes could be done this year and the actual road widening and reconstruction could be done next spring. The one major unknown in the project is the effect on the town's water lines.

Mandon said the line serving that area was installed in 1938, "which means it was installed really well because it's still doing the job." However, because of its age and proximity to the road project, the conventional wisdom calls for all or some of it to be replaced.

INDOT is supposed to provide Mandon with the latest plans for the project this week so he can match up the lane dimensions with the locations of the utility line to figure out what has to be moved. Although the state is paying for the intersection improvements, the as yet unanswered question is: who will pay for water line replacement?

"I think I know the answer to that question," Mandon told the council, implying the town would have to pick up the tab.

The town definitely will have to pay for a storm sewer on Will Street. In discussing the annual road paving plans, Mandon said Will Street has no drainage, so water ponds and percolates through the pavement. In the cold weather, this increases the deterioration of the already badly damaged road.

He told the council he had a cost estimate of about $12,000 for a plan to install a storm sewer that would connect to an existing storm sewer. The project was never done because of a lack of funds. Mandon said he has come up with a shorter path that should reduce the cost of the project. He hopes to get the storm sewer installed so the street can be paved this year.