Published: August 13, 2009 10:03 am      

All ‘shovel-ready’ projects OK’d to receive funding

No major changes were made to transportation projects slotted for construction at the Kentuckiana Regional Planning and Development Agency’s Transportation Technical Coordinating Committee meeting Wednesday.

The most recent project to be removed from the prospective list was the grating and repaving plan for Eighth Street in Jeffersonville, as previously reported in The Evening News.

It was removed from the list of because it was not going to be a “shovel ready” project by the Sept. 1 deadline, which must be met in order to receive American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding. The deadline is to establish whether or not the projects will be completed by a March timeline and is part of the federal stimulus package designed to create jobs quickly.

“We think we are finally in a position where we do not anticipate the need for any more changes [to projects],” said David Burton, transportation planner for KIPDA.

If any changes do take place, they must still meet the strict Sept. 1 deadline.

Following the Transportation Technical Coordinating Committee meeting, KIPDA and Indiana Department of Transportation officials met with local engineers and planners from Clark and Floyd counties to ensure all plans will meet the cutoff date.

As no projects were determined to be outside the necessary timeline, the chance for new projects to receive funding is unlikely.

A few exceptions exist, though. If budgets for the funding come in less than the expected cost or if funding for other road improvements falls through, more projects could be designated for construction.

Should surplus funding exist, projects that are being held in reserve may pick up a portion or split that funding with other area municipalities, according to INDOT officials.

ROAD REPAVING

Clark County, however, will soon be taking bids to repave several roads outside of KIPDA’s project scope.

According to INDOT, the request for bids is in anticipation of funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. All of the resurfacing projects are anticipated to be completed by November, according to a press release from state Rep. Ed Clere, R-New Albany.

“This is a wise use of federal stimulus money,” Clere said in the release. “These resurfacing projects provide the added benefit of job creation for the region. It’s a ‘win-win’ situation for us.”

The list of roads to be resurfaced is: Engle Road from the Floyd County line to St. John Road; Marble Hill Road to the Jefferson County line; New Hope Church Road from Bethlehem-New Washington Road to the Jefferson County line; New Market Road From Zimmerman Road to Ind. 3; and Charlestown-Memphis Road from U.S. 31 to near Saddleback Drive.

Following bid approval, construction likely will begin before October, according to Hyun Lee, Clark County highway director and engineer.

“I expect it to go pretty fast,” he said.