By DEMIE JOHNSON
WISH-TV | wishtv.com
City councilors in Westfield were recently made aware of a major change in construction costs for the State Road 32 widening project.
City leaders said higher real estate values and the war in Ukraine’s impact on materials are partially to blame.
Westfield initially budgeted about $15 million for the project; it’s now going to cost about $22 million to finish.
Willis
“It’s something the council is going to have to track and monitor, and we may have a tough decision to make here in a year from now,” said City Councilor Scott Willis.
Willis said a major portion of the cost increase comes from higher land values in the city.
“The value of land in Westfield is just skyrocketing, and that’s obviously in home prices as well.” Willis said. “The other million and a half was roughly due to construction. Some of that’s the cost of oil. Oil prices are way up. That’s a big chunk of your asphalt and that’s obviously a big chunk of a road construction project.”
The Indiana Department of Transportation said $3.5 million of the price change comes from obtaining the right-of-way of the widened road. An INDOT spokesperson told News 8, “Real estate costs have been fluctuating and trending higher and the estimate INDOT originally gave in 2017 is lower than real estate costs right now.”
INDOT said it is still committed to keeping the cost split 50/50 with the City of Westfield on the project.
The work adds lanes on State Road 32 from just east of U.S. 31 to just beyond Timberbrook Drive. The project calls for widening other sections of State Road 32 and adding a roundabout at East Street.
For all of that happen, several buildings will have to be demolished. But, Willis said, that means there is also opportunity for new development.
“You know, we only have one chance to do this right, so when we worked with the state, you know, the scope of the project was basically minimal streetscaping along that corridor,” Willis said, “so there is a desire to see what we could do if we invested just a little bit more money into that portion of the project.”
In a meeting in Westfield on Thursday, several streetscaping plans and ideas were presented to councilors. Willis said to help cover those costs, the city may have to consider bonds.
Work is set to begin next spring.
Leaders from both INDOT and the City of Westfield said they’ll have a better idea of final costs closer to the end of this year.