PENDLETON — Pendleton Town Council recently selected Calumet Civil Contractors Inc. of Whitestown for a reconstruction project on and near Franklin Street.
The $1.47 million bid was accepted unanimously by the five council members.
Town manager Scott Reske presented the bid to the board during the council’s regular meeting on Thursday, June 10.
The project includes the reconstruction of a section of Franklin Street and the repaving of State Street from Main Street west to the county bridge, as well as replacing a storm line that runs down State Street.
Much of the cost for the project is tied to a Community Crossings Matching Grant from Indiana Department of Transportation. The town recently received a grant of $820,317.
Reske said the section of Franklin Street to be rebuilt runs between Taylor and State streets. Work will include new curb and gutter, storm line and sidewalks. Construction is expected to begin this summer or fall and possibly go into early winter.
Asked by Councilman Robert Jones if he was happy with the bid, Reske replied, “I’m tickled pink.”
He said there was concern with supply shortage that bids could be much higher. The bid of $1.4 million, Reske added, was exactly what was estimated.
“There are horror stories right now because, with lack of supplies, bids are going through the roof, 30%, 50% higher,” Reske continued. “Towns and cities have had to cancel plans and go back to the drawing board. When we walked out (of our meeting) I asked our engineer, ‘What are we going to do if it’s 50% higher?’ It was right at our engineers’ estimate. It must have been just a perfect fit for Calumet and their schedule.”
Another contract approval
The council also unanimously approved a contract for $409,542 with CDM Smith, a construction engineering company, for design work on a State Road 67 project close to Pendleton Heights High School.
Reske said sidewalks, trails, median and lighting are part of the town’s portion of a larger four-lane highway project by Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT). The town’s project area runs from Angle Road to Water Street.
Total cost of the project is $3.5 million, and federal funding for the plan has not been secured.
Reske said construction on INDOT’s project is not scheduled to begin until 2023 and is already expected to be delayed by as much as two years.
A longer delay would aid the town in its attempt to receive federal funding for its improvements.
“Worst case scenario, if we built everything that we’re having designed, it would be a $3.5 million project with an 80/20 split (of cost through a Community Crossings Grant),” Reske said.
“If federal funding does not come through, we will do portions of it and cut back to $.5 million worth of work (for construction of a median) that the town would be responsible for.”
Special meeting
The town council has scheduled a special meeting for 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 22, in town hall.
