Published: August 22, 2008 10:56 pm         

Canal Road phase 2 now set for December

TERRE HAUTE — Delayed at least three times, officials expect a bid letting for construction of the second phase of Vigo County’s Canal Road project in December.

The project had been delayed from June, then to November, and is now slated for Dec. 11.

The delay was largely caused by agreements that would close several railroad crossings in both the city and county. On Friday, Mayor Duke Bennett and county commissioners met at the Vigo County Annex, agreeing railroad issues should not further delay the Canal Road project, which ties into the city’s four-lane 13th Street.

“The railroad committee does not want to delay the county’s project. We’re still waiting on a few solid pieces of information from the railroad,” Bennett said. “If we get this worked out in time, we can pull that out of the contract … and take the crossings out on Canal and Springhill [Road].”

“We have to take time to get a [railroad] contract worked out as well as the funding sources,” Bennett said.

Ron Hinsenkamp, chief transportation planner for West Central Indiana Economic Development District, said officials are working with the Indiana Department of Transportation, Indiana Railroad and CSX Transportation Inc. to include language in the contract that would allow the county to reduce the amount of rail work required on Canal Road.

“This would give the city and county the flexibility to move forward with this railroad relocation and the county to move forward with the Canal Road project,” Hinsenkamp said.

Based on a railroad analysis, the county would save about $3 million by not installing a new crossing at Canal Road, south of Thompson Ditch, and a crossing at Springhill Road. Also, two railroad tracks at Springhill Road near Houseman Street could be relocated to the east to make a single crossing, instead of three crossings.

The city would save more than $2 million by not building new railroad crossings on Seventh Street north of Margaret Avenue and on Margaret Avenue east of Seventh Street, plus remove three to four crossings on city side streets, such as two crossings near Sixth Street and Helen Avenue.

In addition, a railroad crossing could be removed on Third Street.

Canal Road Phase II will start near Ferree Road, with construction of a four-lane road to the southern edge of Interstate 70, where it will connect to Terre Haute’s 13th Street project.

The second phase is estimated to cost $12 million to $14 million, said County Engineer Jerry Netherlain.

Howard Greninger can be reached at (812) 231-4204 or howard.greninger@tribstar.com.