The city’s Metronet project is was substantially complete on October 10th according to Brent Martin, project manager. Martin explained a couple of issues that have delayed final completion of the conduit installation during Tuesday night’s Plymouth Redevelopment Commission meeting.
There are two CSX railroad crossing in the city project that are waiting final authorization. Martin explained the railroad’s requirement to change some language in the city’s insurance policy. Those changes have been made and submitted. The railroad only reviews applications on Friday so he was hopeful they would approve it this week and schedule a flagger for the next week or two to complete that portion of the project.
A second issue was due to the request for NIPSCO to tone a line that USIC couldn’t locate for a short section of conduit under Michigan Street in front of Kentucky Fried Chicken. It took NIPSCO nearly 30 days to complete the task and Michiana Contracting was there to push the conduit the Monday after it was marked.
This past weekend Martin and Ben Hudson from the Metronet went through pulling manhole covers and creating a punch-list for the project. He indicated there was very little on the punch list, some sight clean-up, about a half dozen hand-holds that need re-grouting and some spotty asphalt patching to improve.
Martin said, “In general it been really a very smooth project for putting 15 miles of conduit underground. Obviously hit a few utilities along the way but not very much.”
Discussing the fiber for in the conduit, which isn’t part of the city’s project, Martin said, “Fiber is being installed from LaVille School north to South Bend in the county’s project this week. Next week they will be going south from LaVille School to the city limits and then start within the city.” Martins said he would asked the Board of Public Works and Safety next Monday with a recommendation to accept most of the conduit, although there will be some spots where they won’t accept the conduit because of incompletion.
