Old US 31 North, near CR 450N by Ramco Supply outside Rochester, is shown on Friday, Jan. 26. Fulton County leaders hope to add buggy lanes in the area if the county receives federal grant funds. InkFreeNews photo by Leah Sander.

By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

ROCHESTER — Fulton County is hoping to add buggy lanes to Old US 31 North.

Fulton County Commissioners’ Vice President Rick Ranstead and Fulton County Highway Superintendent John Geier said that’s one of the roadway projects being worked on.

The county has submitted an application for federal aid to do the work, with the federal government then paying 80% to the county’s 20%.

The project will redo 4.5 miles of Old US 31 North “from the river bridge to SR 110,” said Ranstead.

Geier noted the project will cost an estimated $6.5 million.

Buggy lanes would be put in from CR 450N to CR 550N, he said.

Ranstead noted there have several wrecks in that area.

“There’s a factory ramp coming around the corner, and cars come flying over the hills, and the buggies (are) going slow, so we’ve had a couple of accidents out there on the hills,” he said.

“We’d also reduce the hill at CR 450N for better site clearance and then add a turning lane (there),” said Geier.

If the county receives federal aid, the project will be a number of years out as it’s a five-year process to get funds, explained Geier.

A road project happening sooner is the repaving of Old US 31 South, from the Rochester city limits to CR 650S.

The project was just awarded to Phend and Brown for $4,063,395.85.

“They’re going to repave it and deep mill and resurface it,” said Geier.

He estimated the 6.5-mile stretch to be done this year.

That project is also being paid for through federal aid, with the county footing 20% of the bill.

Other future projects include Bridge 161 over Grassy Creek on CR 800W.

“We’ve also got Bridge 33, which is the Talma Bridge over the Tippecanoe River. That one is four years from now,” said Geier.

He said he just applied for the latest round of state Community Crossings Matching Grant Program funding. If received, the state would pay 75% of work on a number of roads to the county’s 25%.

Since 2016, the county has received more than $16.5 million in state and federal grants, said Geier.