The Starke County Park Board has been coordinating with the Starke County Highway Department about some upcoming projects, but Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler said he needed the commissioners’ permission to move forward in doing the projects.
Summer Paving Schedule Underway in Starke County
Three rounds of paving are anticipated in this year’s summer schedule for crews with the Starke County Highway Department.
Starke County Park Board Updated on Bass Lake Beach Seawall Repairs
Repairs to the Bass Lake Beach House seawall are getting underway. The Starke County Park Board has been working with Bass Lake Beach operator Callahan Development, LLC, as well as the County Highway Department, to fix the wall and try to prevent future damage.
Starke County Community Crossings Projects Complete
The three projects awarded INDOT Community Crossings funding in Starke County are complete.
Starke County Park Board Denied Operation Round Up Grant for Bass Lake Beach Improvements
As the Starke County Park Board works to raise the necessary funds for improvements to the Bass Lake Beach, another one of its grant applications has come up short.
State Road 8 to Close West of Knox Monday for Railroad Crossing Repairs
Officials Urge Public Input on Proposed U.S. 30 Freeway
Starke County’s representatives in the U.S. 30 Coalition project met Wednesday night to get for statistics on traffic data.
Starke County Highway Department Working to Patch Potholes
Starke County Community Foundation Presents $20,000 in Grants to Starke County Park Board
The Starke County Forest will get $15,000 worth of improvements this spring, thanks to a grant from the Hardesty Memorial Endowment Fund. The funding was formally presented to the Starke County Park Board Tuesday by Starke County Community Foundation Director of Development Sarah Origer and Northern Indiana Community Foundation Executive Director Jay Albright.
Starke County Highway Department Assessing Roads after Flood Event
Crews from the Starke County Highway Department continue to assess road damage due to the recent flood event.
Starke County Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler told the commissioners Monday night that the first stage of flood management is nearly complete.
Starke County Surveyor Thanks Local Farmers For Stepping Up to Help Out With Flood Response
According to Starke County Surveyor Bill Crase, four breached levees in the Starke County and La Porte County areas have recently been fixed, while work on one site is being postponed due to the current levels of the Kankakee River.
Surveyor Crase explained that while working on the final section of a levee, workers realized that the river wasn’t dropping. He said if they sealed it up, the pressure would have caused the water to burst out elsewhere so they weren’t able to fix it just yet. While they have slowed the breach down a bit, Crase said crews continue to monitor the spot and are waiting for the river to drop before patching it up any further. Continue reading
Starke County Park Board Gets $5,000 Grant for Bass Lake Beach Erosion Prevention Project
Efforts to prevent and repair erosion at the Bass Lake Beach have gotten a financial boost from the Starke County Community Foundation. The Starke County Park Board announced Tuesday that it was recently awarded a $5,000 Community Support Grant for the installation of glacial stone, as well as additional sand.
Potential Funding Available for Repairing Flood Damaged Roads in Starke County
Several roads around Starke County have spent many days underwater due to the recent floods. This extended exposure to saturation will most likely result in many sections of roadway needing previously unplanned repairs.
On Sunday, Starke County Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler took county and state officials on a tour of the area to highlight some of the spots that were hit the hardest by flood waters.
He explained that once the waters recede enough, crews will be conducting thorough assessments around the county to see where work will need to be done. Continue reading
Starke County Flood Updates for Saturday
High water is still being reported in several sections of Starke County. Many area parks are remaining closed until further notice and major flooding has been confirmed around the Yellow, Brown and Kankakee River bridges as well as in areas near Bass Lake and English Lake.
Starke County EMA Director J. Nier is encouraging residents to submit damage reports through the Indiana Department of Homeland Security website. Officials are collecting data to submit in order to potentially receive federal or state financial assistance with relief efforts. Any additional questions or concerns can be directed to Starke County EMA at 574-772-9182.
Starke County Highway Department representatives added there are few things that motorists can do can do to assist crews who are working on the flooding. Continue reading
Thursday Road Closure Updates for Pulaski and Starke Counties
High water on roadways still has many roads in the area closed. However, in some spots in Starke County and Pulaski County conditions have improved enough that certain roads have been reopened. Continue reading
Starke County Closing in on Zero Deficient Bridges
The Starke County Highway Department is working toward a goal of having zero deficient bridges in the county.
The effort has shown as there are only two that remain on the list. Referring to the Phase 2A report that pertains to bridge inspections, Starke County Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler told the county commissioners they are mindful of a couple of areas to make sure they don’t worsen too quickly.
Watch Level Travel Advisory in Effect in Starke County
The Starke County Emergency Management Agency announced that Watch Travel Level advisory has been issued for Starke County roadways due to potentially dangerous conditions.
Starke County EMA Director J. Nier provided a release stating that all county roads maintained by the Starke County Highway Department could be snow or ice covered and hazardous winds may cause significant whiteout conditions and drifting. Continue reading
Starke County Highway Department Looks into Brine Application
Starke County Highway Department Making Intersection Safety Improvements
For the past several months, the Starke County Highway Department workers have been installing reflective strips to the poles that hold traffic signs to enhance safety at all intersections in the county. Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler said the safety devices have been installed first on highly traveled roads.
