Huntingburg seeking Fourth Street solutions

Board of Public Works and Safety considers concrete, asphalt alternatives to address ongoing pavement settling issues affecting downtown businesses and traffic.

The Huntingburg Board of Public Works and Safety authorized VS Engineering to develop options for Fourth Street reconstruction after ongoing settling issues continue to plague the downtown corridor.

Since the updates to the street to address aging and failing infrastructure, which included a significant facelift to the entire facade, the brick paved roadways have developed deep ruts through settling and heavy vehicle traffic.

Brandon Durchholz, design engineer for VS Engineering, presented the current proposal to address the rutting while maintaining the existing brick paver appearance that downtown merchants value for marketing purposes.

The recommended improvements include installing concrete pads underneath the pavers 20 feet back from stop areas on Main Street and 10 feet back on acceleration areas. At Geiger and Jackson streets, concrete would extend 10 feet back on either side of the south areas. They also recommended pulling up all the pavers in the driving lanes, adding rock, recompressing the rock and reinstalling the pavers.

They will also be repairing areas of the trench drain and increasing the turning radius at Geiger Street to facilitate easier access for a fire truck onto Fourth Street. And, to address parking challenges for full-size trucks and large SUVs, they recommended converting areas with three stalls into two-stall configurations, reducing parking by seven spaces.

Construction would proceed in phases to minimize business disruption, with contractors working on half the road at a time. The project includes blackout dates for scheduled downtown events when the street must remain fully accessible.

The board voiced several concerns about the proposal.

Board member Dustin Schmett stated he felt the concrete coverage may not be sufficient to prevent future settling issues at the intersections.

“I think you’re going to have the same problem 20 feet back,” Schmett said, suggesting the concrete should extend 40 feet back from intersections instead of 20 feet.

Regarding the plan to reset the pavers with more rock, the board requested VS Engineering develop alternatives to include installing a concrete base or an asphalt base along the entire corridor, or reverting it to an asphalt street with only brick-paved parking.

Mayor Neil Elkins said that informal surveys of the businesses on Fourth Street indicated they view the brick pavers as an important marketing tool for the downtown area’s appearance and character. He expressed that he didn’t feel removing the bricks and asphalting the road would deter anyone from visiting.

“What is the longevity estimate on a redo of the street?” Elkins asked Durchholz about the firm’s original proposal.

Durchholz explained that vehicle speeds significantly impact pavement longevity. The street is designed for 10 mph traffic. “Are people actually going to drive 10 miles an hour on it? Probably not,” Durchholz said, explaining that higher speeds and acceleration forces contribute to settling problems.

Additionally, project costs have escalated significantly since initial planning began. Estimates have risen from $180,000 to $190,000 three years ago to approximately $370,000 currently, with some projections approaching $400,000.

The board discussed funding options, including tapping into an endowment established as part of the Stellar Community designation upon completion of the Fourth Street improvements. Mayor Elkins said that with the increased costs, they would likely have to add it to the street repair budget.

The board ultimately decided to request additional design alternatives rather than proceeding with the original proposal. The motion authorizes VS Engineering to develop options, including full concrete coverage and asphalt alternatives for the travel lanes, while potentially maintaining pavers in other areas.

VS Engineering will present the additional design alternatives at the next board meeting as the city works toward putting the project out for bid. The board indicated they want to see bid results before making final decisions on construction methods and scope.