Monroe County commissioners have formally notified a local property owner that they may sue him to obtain 2.1 acres of his land for an $8 million bridge project near Stinesville.
The commissioners posted a public notice to inform Thomas Scott King that if he does not respond to the notice or accept the offer by April 10, “we shall file suit to condemn the land.”
Eminent domain is the government’s power to take private property for public use, such as a road, so long as the property owner is justly compensated. If the county initiated an eminent domain action in court, a judge would decide whether the county can acquire the land.
A county official said the county needs the land to replace the bridge on Mt. Tabor Road over Beanblossom Creek, near North Bottom Road.
County needs more land for bridge realignment
Highway Director Lisa Ridge said the project will eliminate the sharp curve immediately south of the existing bridge. The realignment will shift the bridge onto the King property.
“The bridge will be longer, and the roadway (will be) raised” to meet state requirements for construction in a floodway, Ridge said via email.
She said the Kings have not responded to phone calls or visits to the home, which prompted the county to post the public notice. Ridge said the Kings have picked up a package at the clerk’s office, and if they accept the proposal, “we will not need to have eminent domain.”
Officials disclose purchase offer for land tied to bridge project
She said the county has proposed paying about $16,000 for the roughly two acres it needs — about $8,000 per acre. According to local property records, the largely wooded property was most recently assessed at $890 per acre for tax purposes, but Ridge said the county’s proposed amount is based on an appraisal of the portion of the property to be acquired.
She said the county estimates the project to cost $8 million, which will be paid exclusively with local tax dollars. She said she expects the bridge to be constructed in 2027 or 2028.
Ridge said the bridge is on the county’s five-year replacement plan, which it generates through bridge inspections. She said a traffic count estimates about 600 people use the bridge daily, but she said the area also floods frequently, forcing motorists to find alternate routes.
“This is another reason for the replacement,” she said.
Road and bridge to remain open during construction
Ridge said construction would take one construction season, or about eight or nine months.
“The intent is to maintain traffic over the existing bridge while the new bridge is constructed,” she said.
Ridge said, though, that there may be short closures when the new road is tied into the existing road.
Boris Ladwig can be reached at bladwig@heraldt.com.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Indiana county threatens eminent domain for $8M bridge project
Reporting by Boris Ladwig, The Herald-Times / The Herald-Times
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