Columbus City Council has approved the second reading of an ordinance appropriating funds to pay for the railroad overpass project, although city officials are pondering whether there might be funds left over upon contract completion.
City Finance Director Jamie Brinegar said their is about $4.8 million in the overpass fund, which has accumulated some interest income over the past two and a half years.
"We’ll be getting change orders to be processed through Board of Works, and to be able to pay those, we need to appropriate the remaining money. Further, any money that is left in this fund at the end of the project will then be dispersed back to those who participated in the project, with the ratio of how they gave to the project. So right now, we’re looking like there will be some money left over," he said in an earlier statement to council members.
The State Road 46 railroad overpass over State Road 11 on Columbus’ west side currently has traffic traveling both eastbound and westbound. Brinegar said watching the progress on the overpass being built has been exciting.
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Change orders for the project have totaled more than $978,000, City Engineer and Executive Director of Public Works Dave Hayward told Columbus Redevelopment Commission members.
INDOT is picking up half of the total cost for the project while the city, along with other partners, is picking up the half of the tab. This includes change orders, which are split 50-50 as well.
“We anticipate that there’ll be a few more (change orders,) probably as many as 10," Hayward said. "And we don’t expect those to total anywhere this amount, maybe just a few thousand dollars. But in total, right now, we’re at about 4% change orders for the project, which is really pretty good. Anything under 5% is usually considered pretty good.”
Hayward said that most of the "heavy construction" for the overpass project is complete. The final course of asphalt pavement for the entire roadway is being completed, during work at night, he said.
Hayward said that the city plans to open bids in January for landscaping on the project.
“I have to fudge a little bit on the completion date next year," he said. "I hope it’s next spring or early summer, but it could be late in the year.”
Hayward said that the total cost of construction on landscaping is around $1.5 million. This cost, like the others, is split 50-50.
“All of this is still within the original budget, and we still have some wiggle room in there," he said.
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Crews from Milestone Contractors have been working on the estimated $35 million overpass project that is being jointly funded by the Indiana Department of Transportation, city of Columbus, Bartholomew County, Cummins Inc. and the Louisville & Indiana and CSX railroads.
The overpass project was developed in response to a projected increase in railroad traffic on the Louisville & Indiana Railroad tracks. INDOT has agreed to pick up half of the total cost, while the city, along with other partners, pick up the half of the tab.
The railroad has leased its tracks running through Columbus to CSX, which is expected to result in an increase in train traffic, train speed and delays at intersections involving rail crossings through the city, with the State Road 46/State Road 11 intersection expected to have the most delayed local traffic.
A groundbreaking ceremony for the project was held in November.
To learn more, visit
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Visit columbusrailroadproject.org for more information about the project.
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