| Railroad underpass project delayed |
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| News | |||
| Written by Brandon Steinert | |||
| Friday, 05 March 2010 09:00 | |||
Residents near the 223rd Street railroad underpass project east of Woodland Road will have to wait a little longer for things to go back to normal. Construction just west of the intersection is behind schedule, and the road might not open until July. Though, Miami County taxpayers will be glad to know that the project is within budget parameters.  “The contractor is as anxious to get out of there as we are for it to be done,” Miami County Engineer Penny Evans said. “The weather is the biggest factor (in the project’s completion time).” Although work is going smoothly now, the project hasn’t been without rough patches. Evans said several things have led to higher expenses, including the presence of more rock than anticipated. The additional costs were offset by fluctuations in fuel prices. When the bid was let in October 2008, the cost of fuel was about 30 percent higher than it is now. The higher price was part of original cost estimates. Evans said the difference saved the county about $50,000. “These ups and downs put us back at the bid price,” she said. “It’s good for this huge of a job to be within the budget. It’s the biggest project Miami County has ever taken on.” The rock the construction crew dug up in the process turned out to be 3 to 5 feet deeper than anticipated, which means free material for the county to store, but the need to remove extra rock is another reason the project is behind schedule.
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