West Street project is complete
By Kitty Conley kconley@post-trib.com September 25, 2012 1:40PM
Imad Samara, Project Manager for the Crown Point storm water improvement project, welcomes guests to a ribbon cutting ceremony on Monday, September 24, 2012, in Crown Point. | Scott R. Brandush~Sun-Times Media
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CROWN POINT — Residents along West Street north of U.S. 231 finally are not listening to the sounds of heavy construction machinery in front of their homes. They are happy with what that noise accomplished, but the quiet is also a blessing.
U.S. Rep. Peter Visclosky, Mayor Dave Uran, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Commander Fredric Drummond, Corps project manager Imad Samara, City Council President Andrew Kyres and Councilman Mark Schweitzer celebrated completion of the project with a ribbon cutting Monday, Sept. 24, five days short of one year after the start of the massive project.
As Uran picked up the ceremonial scissors, Schweitzer said, “Wow, that’s a big scissors.” The ribbon cutting that marked the start of the project was on a rainy Sept. 29, 2011.
Residents have new sanitary and storm sewers, water lines and catch basins along West Street. The flow of the Beasor Valley from the south side runs north along West Street until its natural flow crosses Main Street to keep going north to the Beaver Dam Ditch.
“I congratulate Mayor David Uran and the City of Crown Point as well as the United States Army Crops of Engineers for the completion of this project,” Visclosky said, adding, “we are here because Mayor Uran and the council took the initiative.”
According to Visclosky, the installation of new storm and sanitary infrastructure will not only enhance the city’s flood prevention capabilities, but will keep waste from overflowing during heavy rain events. “Improvements like these create good-paying jobs for Northwest Indiana workers and leave us all with a better quality of life.”
Drummond said, “This is the tangible evidence people want to see stuff done.” He added that the project employed about 100 people.
The total project cost is $2,125,000 with the city’s at just over $525,000 and federal funding of $1.6 million. The cost of the construction alone is $1,712,918. Rausch Construction Company did the work. The project was engineered and watched over by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers.
This area had no storm drains or catch basins to relieve excess flooding to the residents’ homes, property or the road. The street surface itself had been top coated with asphalt over and over again until the pavement was almost at the top of the cement curbs.
Drummond said the project came in under cost and on time.
