CEDAR LAKE | The Town Council is paving the way for more road projects, just in time for the spring construction season.
On Tuesday, the council took a step toward the second phase of work on West 133rd Avenue, made plans for Parrish Avenue resurfacing and awarded the bid for paving projects on a number of town streets.
First out the gate may be the West 133rd continuation to U.S. 41. The council agreed to have the scoring results of prospective engineering firms forwarded to the Indiana Department of Transportation.
Town Administrator Ian Nicolini, who sits on the scoring committee, said the Highland office of American Structurepoint, an Indianapolis-based firm, received the best score. He explained that INDOT will review the committee's findings and then request a price proposal from the firm.
While some council members questioned delaying the project by using the scoring process, Nicolini said it's now the favored process, and, if the town wants to remain in the running for additional federal matching funds in the "six figures," the process must be observed.
Other engineering firms that submitted to the scoring process are DVG Inc., 1st Group Engineering, Christopher Burke Engineering, H. Stewart Kline, Level Five Engineering and Strand & Associates.
Nicolini said the town hopes a firm will be signed and on board by April 1.
The council agreed to retain Christopher Burke Engineering, of Crown Point, for the Parrish Avenue resurfacing project at $14,600.
Nicolini explained the town is in line to receive an estimated $354,000 in federal "jobs bill" funding that would pay for the Parrish Avenue project. It would cover from West 133rd south to West 147th Avenue. He said he's in talks to cooperatively work with the Lake County Highway Department, which is responsible for a portion of that road outside municipal boundaries. The coordination may make more dollars available.
Walsh & Kelly Paving Contractors won the bid for the various paving projects in town, with a price of $414,341. The other bidder, Rieth-Riley, bid $455,671. The streets to be part of the project include portions of Hilltop Place, West 129th Place, Fulton Avenue, West 133rd Place and Vermillion Drive.
Jeff Fraze who lives on Oak Street near 128th Place and some of his neighbors complained that their streets are in wretched condition and need paving attention, too.
While the council did not argue that point, Nicolini said that finding funding for streets that are not primary arteries is a tough call in today's economy. For example, he said, the money to be used for Parrish Avenue cannot be used for side streets.
