The Hickory Road bridge replacement is moving closer to getting underway.
Laurie Johnson with engineering firm DLZ told the Marshall County Commissioners Tuesday that administrative settlements for the necessary land parcels are nearly complete. “Four of our five parcels have been settled,” she said. “The fifth one, all the paperwork has been approved by INDOT. We have some paperwork for your review and then, if approved, [Highway Administrator] Laurie Baker, as an employee in responsible charge, can sign that, and we can proceed. So we’re getting real close on those five parcels.”
The next focus is to finish the wetland mitigation plans. Johnson said the City of Plymouth has been receptive to the idea of locating a wetland site in the southern portion of the city. “The Army Corps of Engineers and the IDEM permits are nearly complete, but they’re on hold right now until this mitigation is submitted,” she said. “And then the IDNR permit is in review, and just a reminder that we pushed the letting date to December 13 and the right of way certification is due on July 21. So we’re still on track to hit all those dates.”
Commissioner Kurt Garner questioned whether the proposed wetland site would interfere with future phases of Greenway Trail. Johnson assured the commissioners that building a trail would be consistent with the use of the site. She also pointed out that the proposed wetland site is more economical than some of the county’s other options.
