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1.Why hasn't
my trash been picked up?…Why hasn't my street been fixed, snow
plowed, overlaid, etc.?…Can you put up a street light?…Can you
fix a drainage problem in our subdivision? |
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The County Highway Department
maintains the county roads and bridges outside the City of
Columbus limits and outside of the limits of incorporated
towns such as Hope and Jonesville. The County Highway does
not provide services inside the city or town limits. However,
there is an exception, that the County
maintains all bridges on city streets, town streets and county
roads that are more than twenty feet in length. The county
does not maintain the bridges on the state roads or interstate.
FOR PROBLEMS RELATED TO CITY
SERVICES CALL THE CITY GARAGE AT (812) 376-2508 AND THE CITY
ENGINEER AT (812) 376-2540
FOR PROBLEMS RELATED TO THE STATE
HIGHWAY (SR9, 11 OR 46), US HIGHWAY (US31) OR INTERSTATE (I-65)
CALL THE STATE GARAGE AT (812) 372-7837 back
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2.
Why is the road closed and when will it be open? |
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- County
roads must be closed periodically for road maintenance,
road construction or bridge and culvert replacement. When
a road is overlaid or chip and sealed or a small culvert
is replaced a road is generally closed in the morning after
the school buses make their runs and opened later the same
day. When roads are reconstructed and bridges replaced,
the road is closed until construction is complete. For an
average bridge the road is opened in about three to four
months depending on the weather. back
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3.
Why did you place asphalt and stone chips over my blacktop road? |
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When a
road is overlaid with asphalt, it has a smooth riding surface.
However, generally within five years the asphalt will begin
to develop cracks across the road due to traffic loads and freezing
and thawing. If the cracks are not sealed, they will fill with
water during rains which softens the ground below. This water
freezes in the winter which expands and creates potholes and
soft spots when it thaws. The chip and seal program is a cost
effective method to sealing the entire road to prolong the life
of the pavement. The chip and seal is a process in which a liquid
asphalt is sprayed on the road and small chips of stone are
spread on and rolled into the liquid. This process seals the
road and gives it an additional wearing surface.back
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4.
Why is there a drop off at the edge of the road?…Why is there
a drop off at my drive or field entrance? |
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Prior
to overlaying a road with asphalt, the highway department will
berm or remove the buildup along the edge to allow the stone
to be exposed and drain water that might be standing on the
edge. This allows for better drainage off the road and allows
the road to be paved as wide as possible. Typically, the center
of the road is crowned or higher that the edges to allow the
water to run off. In many cases this crown is much higher than
desirable due to previous chip and seals where the center seam
overlapped. To correct this situation the edges of the road
need additional thickness. The paving crew tries to create a
small apron at the drives to smooth the transition. The drop
off on the edges through the remainder of the property are later
filled with stone to create a small shoulder. back
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5.
Why did the county cut my trees or flowers at the edge of the
road? |
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The county
tries to keep the shoulders of the road mowed for safety reasons.
The clear shoulder helps increase safety, due to the narrow
pavements on most county roads. Mowing increases the ability
to see when pulling out at intersections . Tree branches will
eventually grow too close to the pavement and will hinder cars,
trucks and buses. An arm mower is the only efficient means to
remove the obstruction. We recommend that the property owner
keep the trees trimmed to avoid the unsightly appearance after
the arm mower is through. Typically the county right-of-way
is fifteen feet each side of the center of the road. The county
will generally mow a five foot width and the property owner
should maintain the rest.back
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6.
Can you fix my drainage problem? |
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The
county highway is responsible for the ditches along the edges
of the county roads and the streams and rivers that cross
the county roads within the county road right-of-way. The
county engineer is responsible for the overall drainage review
for new subdivisions. The county surveyor, through the drainage
board, is responsible for "legal drains" that are within Bartholomew
County. Some problems are created because a property owner
fills in the road side ditch adjacent to their property without
permission from the county highway.
COUNTY
HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT AND ENGINEER - (812) 379-1660 COUNTY SURVEYOR
AND DRAINAGE BOARD - (812) 379-1525 back
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7.
Will the county replace my mailbox that was knocked down during
mowing or snow clearing? |
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Mailboxes
are located in the county right-of-way and are normally very
close to the edge of the road. Mailboxes are sometimes inadvertently
hit by the mower, plow or flying snow off of the plow. The county
superintendent will review each situation to determine if the
highway department will replace the mailbox. CALL THE HIGHWAY
BETWEEN 7:00 AM AND 3:30 PM AT (812) 379-1660.back
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8.
Can you put speed bumps on my road to slow down traffic? |
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The
speed bump is an increased hazard to the unwary…a challenge
to the daredevil…a disruption of the movement of emergency
vehicles…the cause of an undesirable increase in noise…and
a real problem to snow removal.
Courts
have held public agencies liable for personal injuries resulting
from faulty design. Because speed bumps have considerable
potential for liability suits, Bartholomew County does not
use them as a traffic control device.
Tests
of various experimental designs have demonstrated the physical
inability of a speed bump to successfully control all types
of lightweight vehicles. The driver of a softsprung sedan
is actually encouraged to increase speed for a better ride
over a bump that may cause other motorists to lose control.
The control
of speeding in residential neighborhoods is a widespread concern
which requires persistent law enforcement efforts…not speed
bumps. back
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9.
Will you lower the speed limit on my road to reduce hazards
in our area? |
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An
unrealistically low speed limit can actually lead to accidents.
Here's why:
- Many studies conducted over several decades in all parts
of the country have shown that a driver's speed is influenced
more by appearance of the roadway and prevailing traffic
conditions than by the posted speed limit.
- Some drivers obey the lower posted speed while others
feel it's unreasonable and simply ignore it. This disrupts
the uniform flow of traffic and increases accident potential
between the faster and the slower drivers.
- When traffic is traveling at different speeds, the number
of breaks in traffic to allow safe crossing is reduced.
Pedestrians also have greater difficulty in judging the
speed of approaching vehicles.
Indiana's
basic speed law says drivers must observe maximum speed limits
and must also drive at a speed "not greater than or less than
is reasonable and proper" having regard for all existing conditions.
The law continues: "…and no person shall drive any vehicle upon
a highway at a speed greater than will permit him/her to bring
it to a stop within assured clear distance ahead."
Under Indiana law, the maximum speed limit for any passenger
vehicle is 55 mph except on interstates. All other speed limits
are called prima facie limits - those safe and prudent under
normal conditions. These limits include 30 mph in urban districts
and in school zones when children are present. These speeds
aren't always posted, but motorists are required to know them.
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10.
Can you put up a stop sign to slow traffic on my street? |
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Stop
signs installed in the wrong places for the wrong purposes
usually create more problems than they solve. One common misuse
of stop signs is to arbitrarily interrupt traffic, either
by causing it to stop or by causing such an inconvenience
that motorists are forced to use other routes. Studies show
there is a high incidence of intentional violations where
stop signs are installed as "nuisances" or "speed breakers."
These studies showed that speed was reduced in the immediate
vicinity of the stop signs, but speeds were actually higher
between intersections prior to the stop signs being installed.
At the
right place and under the right conditions, a stop sign tells
drivers and pedestrians who has the right of way. Nationally
recognized standards have been established to determine when
stop signs should be used. These standards, or "warrants,"
take into consideration, among other things, traffic speed
and volume, sight distance, and the frequency of traffic "gaps"
which allow safe vehicle entry or pedestrian crossing.
Most drivers
are reasonable and prudent, but, when confronted with unreasonable
restrictions, they frequently violate them and develop a general
contempt for traffic controls - often with tragic results.
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11.
Will you install a "Children at Play" sign on our road to protect
our children? |
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At
first consideration, it might seem that this sign would provide
protection for youngsters playing in a neighborhood. It doesn't.
Speeding drivers or careless drivers do not pay attention to
these signs and it gives the parents a false sense of security
that there children will not be harmed. The streets are primarily
for vehicular transportation and the "Children at Play" sign
is a direct and open suggestion that it is acceptable to do
so. Parents are responsible for supervision of their children
especially when playing in or near the street.
Studies made in cities where such signs were widely posted
in residential areas show no evidence of having reduced pedestrian
accidents, vehicle speed, or legal liability. In fact, many
types of signs which were installed to warn of normal conditions
in residential areas failed to achieve desired safety benefits.
Federal
standards discourage the use of "Children at Play" signs and
they are not recognized in the Indiana traffic manual.
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