Indiana road closes after $3 million rebuilding project

FARMLAND, Ind. (AP) - A section of a state road has closed in eastern Indiana less than four months after a $3 million project rebuilt it.

The Star Press (http://tspne.ws/1F4F01t ) reports a 6.25-mile stretch of State Road 1 has seen "severe roadbed failures" in Randolph County outside Muncie. The state closed a section of the road in April 2014 due to pavement failure and reopened it in November. Its latest closure was March 11.

Indiana Department of Transportation spokesman Harry Maginity told the newspaper that the area's wetlands are likely the main reason behind road problems. Very heavy trucks also use the road, he said.

The department says it's focusing on the road's sub-base and the soil underneath it. Factors for the road's failure, according to the department, could include "bog-like wet soil," weight from truck traffic and extreme cold in February.

"The fix will not be easy or quick," Maginity said. "We have no idea at this time how long the road will be closed."

Jason Gasaway, a project manager with the paving company that redid the road, said the problem isn't with the asphalt, but rather what's underneath it. He said the company didn't design it.

Land along the road includes Cabin Creek Raised Bog, which was designated a National Natural Landmark by the Natural Park Service in 1974. In 2013, Ball State University biologists found 400 native plant species in that wetland, as well as dragonflies, wood frogs and a native lizard.

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Information from: The Star Press, http://www.thestarpress.com