Increasing costs could put the brakes on Porter County's paving plans.
The county was awarded the maximum of one million dollars in the latest round of Community Crossings Matching Grants from the state. But Porter County Development & Storm Water Director Bob Thompson worries that won't go as far as originally thought.
"Because of the oil prices, we are now predicting that the $2 million the projects that we estimated are probably going to be over $2.6 million, if not higher," Thompson told the county commissioners Tuesday.
The project list calls for 10.8 miles of milling and structural surface work. Thompson said when they put the grant application together back in December, that was expected to cost about $185,000 dollars per mile. Now, estimates are closer to $250,000.
Formal bids for the work are expected to be opened in July. It will be up to the county council to decide whether to fill any potential funding gap. Thompson expects work to start in August or September.
Roads set to get work include County Line Road, 550 North, 400 East, 500 West, 500 East, 700 North, 900 South, Baums Bridge Road, Tower Road and 400 North.
