Jasper Country Club Estates project earns recognition

A major Jasper street reconstruction project in the Country Club Estates neighborhood has earned recognition from the Indiana Street Commissioners, with the city receiving the inaugural Project of the Year Award at this year’s road school conference.

The project completely rebuilt the streets in the Country Club Estates neighborhood north of the high school. The original concrete streets, installed in the late 1980s, had reached the end of their useful life, according to Scott Schnell, Jasper Engineering Technician.

The city secured matching funds through an INDOT Community Crossings grant to complete the work. Knies Construction served as the general contractor, with Calcar Paving and JBI as subcontractors.

The project required moving approximately 600 truckloads of material out of the neighborhood, including earth and concrete. Crews then hauled in 19,500 tons of rock across 700 truckloads to construct proper road beds, followed by 5,500 tons of asphalt delivered in several hundred additional trucks.

More than 60 residents endured significant disruptions during construction, losing driveway access for five to six weeks at a time as work progressed through different phases.

“School bus routes were altered. Mail was altered. The UPS, all the couriers, those guys all had to walk through yards and make different arrangements to get packages and mail and whatever to the residents.” Schnell told the Jasper Board of Public Works and Safety on Tuesday.

Multiple city utility departments contributed to the project. Gas services discovered directly beneath the concrete streets required relocation to meet current code requirements. The water department removed and reinstalled a fire hydrant to accommodate storm sewer work, while the electric department addressed street light wiring that wasn’t buried deep enough for the new construction. The wastewater department worked on buried manholes and grade issues during the project.

The original concrete streets failed prematurely because they were just poured on dirt, according to Schnell.

“It was a great project. If you knew what we had when we started compared to what we have today, it’s a great improvement,” said Street Superintendent Jeff Theising.

The project is nearing completion, with only minor punch-list items remaining.

“The city would like to thank all of the City Departments and contractors for their work and dedication in making this project a success. The city would also like to thank the residents of the subdivision for their patience throughout the project.”