U.S. 231 project ‘heavy lifting’ will come in 2023

Thursday, June 24, 2021
Already the main thoroughfare in Greencastle, the U.S. 231 corridor that follows Jackson, Washington (pictured) and Bloomington streets will undergo major work in 2022 and 2023. On Wednesday, officials revealed further details about the schedule of work.
Banner Graphic/JARED JERNAGAN

Badly needed, anticipated for years and delayed by COVID-19, major work on U.S. 231 through Greencastle will be here next year.

Well, the first part of it.

During a public information meeting Wednesday, the Indiana Department of Transportation and RQAW Engineering unveiled plans for the 2022 and 2023 U.S. 231 rehabilitation project through the city.

Work will run 1.6 miles from Veterans Memorial Highway on the south end of town to Frazier Street on the north. This will entail portions of all three city streets that 231 encompasses as it snakes its way through the city — Bloomington Street, Washington Street and Jackson Street

However, the work is being broken down into sections, some of which are to be completed in 2022 and the rest in 2023.

The work in 2022 primarily involves the Bloomington Street section of U.S. 231, as well as a small portion of Jackson Street on the north end, from the CSX Railroad Crossing just south of Elizabeth Street two blocks north to Frazier Street.

This first season of work will involve patching and milling and overlay of the roadway. On Bloomington Street, the work will also include replacing curb and gutters, reconstructing sidewalks as required, reconstructing ADA curb ramps to meet current standards and adjusting drainage castings to grade.

Then comes construction season two in 2023.

“Season two will be the heavy lifting, if you will,” Lisa Casler, RQAW project manager, told the crowd of 50 or so at the Putnam County Fairgrounds Community Building.

Stretching from the Washington/Bloomington Street intersection to the CSX crossing, the 2023 work will include full-depth pavement replacement, as well as reconstructing sidewalks as required and ADA curb ramps to meet current standards.

The 2023 season will also be the one that City of Greencastle officials have been anticipating, as it will involve replacing the storm sewers and water mains in the area.

While the overall work will require some land acquisition — 0.15 acres of permanent right-of-way and 0.70 of temporary right-of-way — the road itself will not look much different three years from now.

“The footprint of the roadway will remain as it is today,” Casler explained. “What you see today will not change except for the pavement.”

The Bloomington Street lanes of travel will expand from 12 feet to about 13 feet, with new gutter.

Washington Street will continue to have 12-foot travel lanes with between zero and six feet of additional space to the gutters on either side.

On Jackson Street, the lanes of travel will be 15 feet, along with new curbs and gutters.

INDOT and RQAW are also assuring owners of businesses and homes along the route that access to their property will be maintained. Pedestrian access is also a priority.

“One thing about the road grade construction is that it will be sequenced so that there is pedestrian access at all times,” Casler said.

The construction will be phased to minimize impact as much as possible.

The official detour will follow U.S. 36, State Road 75 and State Road 240, though on the south end, signs will also be placed at U.S. 40 to advise motorists of the upcoming construction.

“We’ll be encouraging all through traffic to take a detour,” Casler said. “We will also work with the city of Greencastle to see what local detour will be taken and work with them to make sure that access can be maintained for residents.”

The plan is to maintain one lane of traffic through the construction zone.

Following Casler’s comments, RQAW Director of Environmental Services Joe Dabkowski, a 2000 South Putnam graduate, discussed the environmental impact of the project, which involved historic considerations in Greencastle’s case, adding that he’s excited for this sort of personal homecoming.

“Greencastle is a historic city,” Dabkowski said. “There are several different historic resources, so that was a big process we had to go through.”

Chief among these considerations were Robe-Ann Park, the Eastern Enlargement Historic District and the Courthouse Historic District.

Ultimately, though, the studies found that there would be no adverse effect on these areas considering that the roadway itself isn’t changing, just being upgraded.

“The ‘no adverse effect’ rating means we are not affecting any historic resources,” Dabkowski said.

Through various legal notices and comment periods, Dabkowski explained, no public comments were submitted objecting to the project.

Before and after the formal portion of the meeting, INDOT and RQAW officials were available to citizens during informal question and answer periods.

Letting of the project is set for April 2022, with the first construction season slated to begin in May 2022 and the second season set for April 2023.

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  • That official detour reminds me of the Charlie Daniels song where he drives from Mississippi to LA via Omaha to avoid the rednecks.

    -- Posted by Ben Dover on Fri, Jun 25, 2021, at 2:14 PM
  • State DOT construction projects always detour along the nearest state routes, for the benefit of travelers who aren’t familiar with the area. Locals will usually find their own routes along minor roadways. I expect Manhattan Rd, Cemetery Rd, and Airport Rd to see quite a bit of traffic increase. Unfortunately there aren’t many similar options on the north end.

    -- Posted by techphcy on Sat, Jun 26, 2021, at 1:44 PM
  • For the south end work drivers will still come up 231 and go west on Veteran's. Just follow the Walmart trucks! 2023 will be more difficult.

    -- Posted by Geologist on Sat, Jun 26, 2021, at 2:49 PM
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