The Utility Service Board is facing a huge dilemma with the upcoming State Road 28 project.
“If we do the conflicts and getting the right kind of financing and loans from the right people, it’s a $400,000 expense to us,” said USB Chairman Mike Kelley. “If we do the whole project — everything than what the conflicts are, we have to pay for that and that number is $3,832,000 and we don’t have that.”
The whole project is a major reconstruction from County Road 200 West to Hoke Avenue, which is about 18,000 square feet of surface to be replaced. Kelley says where the problem comes underneath that stretch — specifically the water lines and pipes, which the majority are at least 100 to 135 years old. The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) has already told them the USB they will only pay for the conflicted areas and not all the water lines and structure.
“The wise decision and the consensus of the board at this time is to replace all the water during the project,” said Kelley.
What Kelley and the USB is hoping for is a joint meeting with the Frankfort City Council and put everything on the table.
The water situation on State Road 28 is not the only thing the USB wants to do. They want to expand the water treatment plant, rehabilitate the west water tank, expand the water line in the Jefferson area so it can be looped around for better quality of water, replace as many meters with auto read meters and minimize the water expansion for the I-65 project. Kelley added they will also be looking at a rate increase for water.
“All of this will probably require a bond issue,” said Kelley. “We want to take a look at the total expense of everything we want to do.”