Rep. Baird investigates Putnam detour issues

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Intrigued by the number of upcoming area road projects and the enormity of inconvenience enumerated in a recent Banner Graphic editorial, District 44 State Rep. Jim Baird turned to the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) for an explanation.

Rep. Jim Baird

That April 1 editorial -- "The joke's on you, Putnam County" -- detailed how not only will the ongoing Chadd Valley bridge deck overlay project over Deer Creek mean a State Road 240 detour through July but simultaneous INDOT projects on U.S. 40 and U.S. 36 could make commuting to Hendricks County or Indianapolis difficult for many Putnam County drivers.

"I think your editorial raised some valid concerns," the Greencastle Republican offered, "particularly for people who need to go to Avon for medical reasons."

Checking with INDOT officials, Rep. Baird said he was told the only actual road closure will be for the State Road 240 Chadd Valley project, while the rest of the construction will involve lane restrictions where traffic will be maintained on site as resurfacing work or other construction takes place.

"That doesn't always work out to perfection," Baird agreed of the latter scenario, alluding to the possibility of delays as one-lane traffic snakes its way around a construction site.

U.S. 36 is due for resurfacing from State Road 75 to State Road 39 at the west edge of Danville, while U.S. 40 is getting a facelift from the Putnam-Hendricks county line near Stilesville to Vestal Road on the west side of Plainfield.

But what further concerns Baird is that once the State Road 240 work is done in Chadd Valley, there is a possibility of three more bridge decking work zones springing up between State Road 75 and Greencastle's East Side.

"Additional 240 work is possible later in the summer," he cautioned, noting that INDOT is expected to put those projects out for bid in July with work to start in August should a contract be reached.

Baird said that additional work includes:

-- The bridge over McHaffie Branch, just west of State Road 75, for a thin deck overlay.

-- The bridge over Buis Creek, a mile west of State Road 75.

-- The bridge over Little Deer Creek, three miles west of State Road 75.

After all those bridge overlays are complete, State Road 240 is in line for resurfacing from 4.25 miles east of U.S. 231 all the way to State Road 75, the legislator reported.

"If they let that contract, it'll go from August (2016) through July 2017," Baird noted.

That means there's a possible 15-month construction cycle ahead for State Road 240.

That's the bad news. The good news?

"At least they're spending money in our district," Baird reasoned. "They could be spending it somewhere else."

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  • So as usual Rep Baird's investigation did nothing but pat the INDOT on the back annd say. "Good job boys for keeping our money here" Quite the investigation. Nothing the Banner has not already told us. Our politicians hard at work.

    -- Posted by Nit on Wed, Apr 13, 2016, at 5:52 PM
  • Well said Nit. Im so glad he is being paid to investigate road closures/lane restrictions. We have all known anout this for a while now. And he is just now checking into this. Is election time just around the corner? And...could he really do anything about it anyway?

    -- Posted by canttakeitanymore on Thu, Apr 14, 2016, at 9:01 AM
  • Lane closures "don't always work out to perfection" is putting it mildly. 10 minutes of backed-up trucks results in much longer delays, especially going through Plainfield and Danville. The boneheads at INDOT didn't think this through.

    -- Posted by Ben Dover on Thu, Apr 14, 2016, at 10:07 AM
  • let's not forget about the I-70 overpasses. 825 E south of Belle Union Closed now replacing a bridge deck, then 4/18 they will close the Higgins Rd overpass that is currently the detour for residents that can't use 825 E. Residents south of Belle Union have to reroute a 7-10 miles in either direction to go north. They need to be fixed, but this is creating a HUGE issue not just for people heading north, but a big issue for Farmers trying to work ground.

    -- Posted by landstarrang on Fri, Apr 15, 2016, at 11:14 AM
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