County committee highlights bridges, US 30 corridor and parking needs as industrial traffic grows

Members of the Kosciusko County Strategic Planning Committee used the June 30 meeting to review highway priorities, bridge needs and options for downtown parking. "We have... 10 bridges now that are inspected every year with a four-or-less rating," the highway representative said, noting four of those bridges were already in the rebuild pipeline.

The county qualified for a lane-mile distribution the presenter gave as $677,350, which committee members described as a welcome supplement for road work this year. For larger structures, speakers said 80/20 federal matching grants remain a high-priority funding source; the Eel River Bridge replacement was cited as a recent example with a $5.4 million federal award.

Officials discussed US 30 corridor pressures tied to incoming industrial activity and estimated heavy-vehicle volumes of 50 to 150 semis per day on parts of the corridor. The group recommended intersection improvement studies to handle increased flows; a local-only intersection study figure was discussed at about $20,000, with a federal-funded variant that includes environmental review estimated near $31,000.

The committee also revisited long-discussed downtown parking solutions and a potential parking garage. Members said earlier studies estimated a market parking rate of around $5 per day and debated siting options to avoid precluding future Justice Building expansion. Committee members emphasized that county business parking would remain free while some downtown spaces could be metered to offset operating costs.

Members agreed to seek funding and complete targeted studies before committing to capital projects and said they would forward priorities to the commissioners for budgeting and grant applications.