By PAULENE POPARAD

For the time being it will be a bridge to nowhere, but eventually the brushed aluminum bridge to be erected this summer will span the Little Calumet River as part of the Orchard Pedestrian Way hike/bike trail slated for likely construction next year.

The town of Porter Redevelopment Commission voted 5-0 Tuesday to accept the $156,650 bid including options from Gator Bridge of Georgia. Echo Bridge of New York bid $179,878 and Contech Bridge of Minnesota $229,960.

Town engineer Warren Thiede said the commission will solicit separate bids in late June or July for bridge abutments and installation of the bridge, which will be located west of Waverly Road north of Hawthorne Park.

The bridge, erected in sections, will be approximately 80 feet long and 10 feet wide; the commission chose vertical rails at the suggestion of member Al Raffin to deter children from climbing over them.

The town received an approximately $300,000 grant for the bridge and its installation. Porter Public Works superintendent Brenda Brueckheimer said she’s familiar with aluminum bridges from her previous employment at entertainment parks in Florida and advised the board to specify better wood decking instead of a costly bridge powdercoating.

Once built the bridge will be maintained by Porter. “This should be nice to the eye, a pleasing bridge,” said commission member Dave Babcock.

New member Trevin Fowler asked if doing the trail and a second one planned this year on the town’s west side will affect the commission’s ability to fund needed sanitary-sewer upgrades. President Bill Sexton said although the town bears some cost for the trails, most of the money is coming from grants, credits and a monetary donation from the National Park Service.

Thiede said the Indiana Department of Transportation finalized the Orchard Pedway field inspection and authorized the town to proceed with submission of trail plans due next month.

In other business a $17,080 bid from BASE Electrical, LLC of Merrillville was accepted unanimously to purchase a 25 kw natural gas back-up generator for the Beam Street municipal building housing the Fire Department and Public Works. Marquisse Electrical Inc. of Michigan City bid $19,395.

Fire Chief Lewis Craig said the generator’s size will allow for a future addition to the building without a generator upgrade being required. Craig alerted the commission in April that the town has no building suitable for an emergency warming/cooling shelter because of the lack of a back-up generator.

Brueckheimer informed the commission that the Porter Stormwater Management Board on Tuesday accepted the $63,791 low bid of H&G Underground Utilities of LaPorte to install storm drains, manholes, culverts and do ditchwork at the southeast quadrant of Johnson Street and Park Street where residents have complained of drainage problems.

Brueckheimer said the work, to begin next month, is Phase 1 of the project but will address about 75 percent of the issues needing to be addressed there. The Stormwater Board is funding the drainage work.

Posted 5/14/2008