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City passes consulting contracts for road projects

By Nathan Ryder - bio | email | Twitter
Posted by Sarah Harlan - email

VANDERBURGH CO., IN (WFIE) - Vanderburgh County commissioners took a vote on some big county road projects at Tuesday night's meeting, but it wasn't without a disagreement.

One of the projects up for discussion was a study on whether or not a new interchange should be built on I-164 at Millersburg Road.

More potential road projects in Vanderburgh County mean more money for consultants.

Tuesday night, the commissioners were set to vote on awarding more than $1 million in consulting contracts on future projects, but lone Republican Lloyd Winnecke had a problem with that.

"It concerns me that we have large contracts that we're not putting out for bid and I think we should not act tonight until we at least seek proposals from all consultants that would be interested in these projects," Winnecke said.

Democrat Troy Tornatta argued that historically the county has put few consulting contracts up for bid, and disagreed the process would get them a better price.

"I think it's all about relationships," Tornatta said. "You have relationships with those individuals and you ask 'how do you perceive your viability on this project?'"

"Did I understand you say we should award contracts based on relationships and not based on competitive pricing?" Winnecke said.

"No, I said our relationships better understand what these companies do," Tornatta said. 

Both consulting contracts were passed on two to one votes.

Winnecke voted no both times.

The first contract, valued at more than $200,000, begins the design phase for the widening of Green River Road just north of Millersburg up to Kansas.

"Which would basically be an extension of the work that is on-going right now," Vanderburgh County Highway Engineer John Stohl said. "Construction probably wouldn't take place for another couple of years but this at least gets the design process started."

The second consulting contract, valued at more than $900,000, studies the possible construction of an interchange at Millersburg Road and I-164.

"It opens up interstate access to all the residential developments taking place up there," Stohl said. "Millersburg is going to provide a fairly direct access to the airport, so it provides a number of benefits."

Construction on the improvements to North Green River Road aren't scheduled to begin for another two years.

As for the construction of an interchange at I-164 and Millersburg Road, once that study is complete they'll forward it to INDOT for review, but there is still no timeframe for construction. 

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