First Street work has residents covered in dust
The Huntingburg Board of Public Works discussed options for repairing First Street, as residents voiced growing frustration over the dust and poor road conditions from the wastewater infrastructure project.
As part of the Huntingburg Wastewater Plant update and expansion, wastewater mains along First Street were updated to increase capacity. While work is completed on that part of the project, the road has not been repaired.
“Our initial plan was to tear the concrete out with asphalt. But it’s that the soil underneath won’t handle asphalt,” Mayor Neil Elkins explained during the meeting. “That’s why we’re putting concrete back.”
The project remains under budget overall. Initially estimated at $5 million, current projections put the final cost at approximately $3.5 to $3.6 million. Of the original $5 million available, $4 million came from grant funding, with the remaining $1 million from a loan.
Cost negotiations are ongoing for the concrete replacement option, with officials expressing concern that some calculations are “substantially off” compared to the estimates based on the expectations with the contractor and the scope of their work.
“We have the money to do these things but we’re too far off to really be prudent with taxpayer dollars,” Elkins said. “We want to make sure that it’s spent properly.”
They are waiting to receive the final numbers before making a final decision on how the road will be repaired. Elkins emphasized his desire to avoid using the loan money if possible, even though it carries zero percent interest.
Residents attending the meeting express mounting frustration with current conditions. One homeowner stated there was “just so much dust down there. It is pitiful. I can’t even sit on my porch. My flowers are covered with dust.”
Officials acknowledged the concerns and outlined immediate steps to address the dust problem. The county has agreed to apply a fog dust preventative treatment to the roadway.
“We’re trying to get the county over to hopefully put a sealer over there to help with the dust,” said Wasterwater Superintendent Brad Coomer, adding that they will reapply the treatment as needed.
The meeting also addresses related infrastructure concerns. When questioned about sewer backups during heavy rain, officials explain that while new infrastructure is in place to transport wastewater, the new treatment plant is not yet operational.
“The new plant is not online. We’re still running on the old plant,” Coomer said. “We do have the infrastructure there to get it there. We don’t have the plant to treat it.”
The new plant is expected to be operational by summer 2026.
No formal action is taken regarding the First Street repairs, as officials await finalized cost estimates before calling a special meeting to approve the preferred concrete replacement option.
“We’ll continue to work keeping the dust down, whatever measures that takes, making sure that we have good numbers with quotes,” Elkins summarized.
