Starke Co. Bridge 51 Replacement May Be Ahead of Schedule

Steve Siddall

The replacement of Bridge 51 is coming right along, and it may actually be done ahead of time. The commissioners awarded the bridge replacement project to LaPorte Construction in August at an estimated cost of $224,238.25, and the company now predicts that they will be done with the replacement before the original estimated completion date of Nov. 1.

According to Starke County Highway Superintendent Steve Siddall, the bridge needed replaced because the wooden caps that had been installed on the bridge in the 1950s have crushed and failed, and he says this bridge was scheduled to be replaced in 2011.

Siddall told the commissioners that construction on the bridge had started shortly after the bid was awarded, and after the bridge structure was removed, it was hauled out. Work started soon after on placing a new bridge structure, and that is expected to be completed along with the other details toward the end of October.