The Peru Gazette

Peru – September 23, 2024,  Culvert replacement priorities dominated the Peru Town Board’s Monday, September 23, 2024, Regular Peru Town Board Meeting. Engineering Ventures representatives Peter Gibbs and Mark DeCrescente explained why exiting culverts failed and the challenges in replacing them.  Peru Highway Superintendent Michael Farrell recently evaluated/scored ten culverts to determine the replacement order. He did not score the closed Telegraph Road culvert. The need to replace it ASAP is self-evident.

FEMA monies installed most, if not all, the culverts needing replacement following severe floods in 1996 & 1999. Since then, regulations have changed, and technology has improved. Gibbs and Nummelin cited undersized culverts and changing weather patterns as the primary reasons for the ongoing problems. Undersized culverts result in faster water flow, more silt and sediment, and culvert deterioration, including the fill above and below a culvert.  In many cases, fast-flowing waters wore the galvanization off the culverts. Changing weather patterns also resulted in higher-than-expected water levels and faster flows.

The highest priority culverts are Wescott Rd., Fuller Rd., and Lions Rd. Their estimated replacement cost is about $4.9 million. The Wescott Rd. culvert will be the biggest challenge. Six homeowners rely on it for access to their property. The town must keep one side of the existing road open or construct a temporary bridge. Engineers estimate its replacement cost to be just over $1,527,000.

Supervisor Craig Randall said the immediate challenge is finding funding for the engineering work needed before construction begins and researching bonding sources for long-term borrowing. Randall and Farrell want engineering plans and financing in place, making the town eligible for any available grant monies.