By BOB SHRALUKA
WZBD.com
The Five Points Project, earlier expected to start in Decatur sometime in 2024, now appears unlikely to begin before early 2025.
Many of the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) projects that have gone out for bid recently have ranged up to 40 percent higher than the estimates due to inflation cost and the large number of construction projects underway, city Operations Manager Jeremy Gilbert recently told Decatur City Council.
Gilbert noted that the Five Points project is an 80% federal and 20% city funded, and as of now INDOT has paid its 80% and is requiring the cities to pay the additional 20%.
“So with all this being said, our bid date has been pushed out a couple times over the last couple years due to funding,” Gilbert explained. “So right now we are scheduled to go to bid in June of 2025.”
That could change due to overages of other projects, he pointed out. But if the project would seek bids bid in June of 2024, it may go to construction by early 2025 to help control the closure of the intersection and the overall construction cost.
The project is pegged to cost a total of $3,057.690. The feds are putting $2,442,352 into the effort while Decatur’s 20% share amounts to $610,338. INDOT administers the project.
With the former Clark’s gas station on Five Points having been secured by the city, photos of the adjacent properties are required by the state since they are situated in a historic neighborhood, Gilbert explained.
The city also must do soil borings to determine if there are any contaminated soils as well as an environmental study of the Clark building to check for asbestos.
“These results will be very valuable to determine any unknowns and should help control any overruns on the project,” Gilbert said.
The city also will complete a utility relocation plan with the utilities involved. All information will then be sent to INDOT, then the state agency will have approximately 5½ months to review all the information and ask for any additional info if may desire.
Property and utility plans have to be secured before all documents can be sent to INDOT to start the waiting period, Gilbert emphasized.
“I would like to see the project completed sooner, but if we are patient we can help control some of our cost,” he concluded.
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