Adams County commissioners approved multiple highway and engineering actions Tuesday, advancing two bridge projects and authorizing a new safety‑grant application aimed at improving guardrails across the county.
The County Engineer (Nate) reported that the Bridge 96 rehabilitation project on 300 East, south of State Road 124, has cleared its final review with the Indiana Department of Transportation. The county will execute an INDOT template agreement with engineering consultant ERI for a not‑to‑exceed cost of $168,606 — a figure reduced after a math error in escalation rates was corrected. Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the agreement.
Rumschlag also updated the board on Bridge 93, where contractor Geiger Trenchless Inc. (GTI) has been performing utility exploration. Crews located a fiber‑optic line and a 20‑inch water main that had not been identified through the state’s 811 locate system. The City of Decatur, including Bill Carpenter, assisted in the field work. Surveying continues as the county prepares design plans for the bridge replacement.
In a third item, Rumschlag outlined a new Guardrail Safety Grant Initiative targeting bridges with inadequate or outdated guardrail systems. The county has identified 38 bridges needing upgrades and will divide the work into four phases, beginning with 10 bridges in Preble Township. Commissioners approved a $5,000 cost‑estimate contract with Butler, Fairman & Seufert (BF&S) to support the grant application. The county previously secured a $2.6 million HSIP grant for similar guardrail improvements.
Rumschlag said the phased approach will help control costs and maintain efficiency by grouping projects geographically. “If we want to seek these grants, this is really the next step toward pursuing those improvements,” he told commissioners.
The board agreed, noting that the safety grants are typically funded on a 90‑10 match basis, making them a cost‑effective way to address infrastructure needs.