Due to a recent change to State Road 28 in Tipton County, the Clinton County Commissioners are taking steps to make sure this doesn’t cause problems in Clinton County.
“County Highway Superintendent Rick Campbell had suggested or recommended basically two things,” said Commissioners President Jordan Brewer. “One was a vehicle count on 100 North or Division Road or right north of Clinton Central so we can get a traffic flow utilizing that road.”
Brewer added one of the concerns about County Road 100 is the amount of travel that could happen when people take 31 to get to 29 and trying to avoid 28.
In a Tipton City-County arraignment with INDOT, route 28 truck traffic now avoids the city of Tipton from US 31 to Indiana 19. Control of this “Old 28” stretch of 28 through Tipton has been handed over to Tipton County and Tipton city government. The rerouting is done with the intention of reducing the problem of the high speed and high volume of semi-trucks going through the center of Tipton.
The intention of this change is not to necessarily reroute car traffic traveling though the center of Tipton. Cars passing through the county avoiding the City of Tipton may result in reducing business traffic for establishments in Tipton located on or near the “Old 28”.
To make the change, Tipton City and County will receive almost $9 million, with most of this going to the City of Tipton. A county road, Division Road, will now be used for truck traffic through Tipton County.
In other news, the Commissioners began something they have waited a long time in doing by accepting the request bids on the proposed roundabout at I-65.
“It’s the first step which we hope is an end journey of a roundabout at 65 and 28,” said Brewer. “Commissioner (Josh) Uitts made the motion. This has been a long-time coming for him in the vision that started four or five years ago. It’s taken that long to get to this point. There are still some things to clean up and tidy up with it.”
Brewer did say there could be a problem down the road.
“The concern is what that cost comes in at,” continued Brewer. “How it was structured was the bond out there had money leftover to do this project. But that set aside amount was for this project three years ago. So, that number has obviously increased.”
Brewer added he anticipated the project will get started this summer.
Bids will be opened at the February 7 meeting.
The long-standing discussion between the Commissioners and the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office regarding the financial situation with the Clinton County Commissary after the Commissioners offered a contract to the Sheriff’s Office Wednesday morning.
Brewer added the contract is a $45,000 contract good for one year.