Expect long delays on West Walnut

Thursday, October 8, 2009

An INDOT project on West Walnut Street from the Greencastle city limits to CR 850 W may cause Covered Bridge Festival travelers long delays.

The project is underway now and will continue past the last weekend of the festival.

One lane of the road will be kept open with flaggers at each end directing traffic. Because the road is narrow, machinery may have to be moved for cars to get past, thus causing even more delays.

People heading to the Parke County Covered Bridge Festival may want to take an alternative route. The best way to go is to take US Hwy. 40 to County Line Rd (900W). Take County Line Rd. back to W. Walnut St. and turn west toward Mansfield and Bridgeton.

The Putnam County Highway Department did not have any say so in when the road project would take place. It began on Oct. 8 and will take four to five weeks to complete. This is an INDOT project and all aspects of the project were determined by INDOT.

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  • "The Putnam County Highway Department did not have any say so in when the road project would take place."

    It is a county road, not a state road. So yes the county did have say so.

    The state makes stupid decisions also, but don't tell me they wouldn't listen to reason if someone would have informed them of what goes on from the 9th through the 18th.

    -- Posted by hoop2077 on Thu, Oct 8, 2009, at 3:08 AM
  • Why would ANYONE start this kind of project with probably one of the biggest festivals in the country starting the day the project is starting. Whoever picked the dates for this project must be out of their mind.

    -- Posted by collegegirl2008 on Thu, Oct 8, 2009, at 8:08 AM
  • It is a state project funded by the state, therefore the state set the guidelines. County didn't have much say-so in it. Just be happy that the road is getting some attention.

    -- Posted by ZRXguy on Thu, Oct 8, 2009, at 9:10 AM
  • Why should Gov't listen on a local & state level when the Feds Doesn't! Again BOTH PARTIES isn't for the people and by the people But Tells the People! It is good to see this project but there was the month of June, July and August, Hey lets do it when the school busses are using it and a major festival travelers is site seeing on this road. My opinion is the State officials doesn't have respect for this county and city!

    Vote them all out next, don't vote your political party confuse them!

    Be more independent!

    They think we will forget their stupid actions by the next election.

    -- Posted by macvrod on Thu, Oct 8, 2009, at 9:48 AM
  • It's just a road repair that will last only a few weeks, at least they're finally fixing the road. So what if they planned it during the bridge festival, TAKE A DIFFERENT ROAD! West Walnut isn't the only road that goes to Mansfield.

    -- Posted by ZRXguy on Thu, Oct 8, 2009, at 10:12 AM
  • I agree with ZRXguy!

    Some people drive on that road EVERY day not just the 9th -- the 18th... I am wondering if all the cry babies are crying about this because they have to spend a little extra time in traffic..... oh that is right if you take 40 to 59 or 36 to 59 you will have to sit in traffic because of all the other bridge festival people...... oh and if you wanted to take west walnut you would have to sit in traffic because our roads are getting fixed..... Wow what a complaint you have!

    -- Posted by Fallgirl09 on Thu, Oct 8, 2009, at 1:41 PM
  • there are so many more important things to worry about. I love covered bridge, but it is a festival. i guess i don't share your priorities, but in our financial state this year i cannot even afford to go; so i would be more than happy to sit in traffic any route taken just to go and be there and take in the atmosphere. So while your are stuck in your miserable traffic delimma feel lucky.

    -- Posted by lclrdr on Thu, Oct 8, 2009, at 8:48 PM
  • lclrdr-

    Why should I feel lucky because I can afford to go to the bridge festival? I can afford to go because of the choices I have made in life. You can't afford to go there because of the choices you have made. If you are feeling unlucky about yourself and want to keep blaming the 'financial state' of our country, get your butt off of the computer and do something about it.

    Fallgirl09-

    You said- "I am wondering if all the cry babies are crying about this because they have to spend a little extra time in traffic....."

    Although I am not crying, that is exactly what I'm complaining about. I don't know if you've ever been to the festival, but it seems that at one point or another, one will sit in enough traffic when their isn't any construction going on.

    -- Posted by hoop2077 on Fri, Oct 9, 2009, at 12:13 AM
  • hoop2077, everybody that goes to the festival knows they are going to sit in traffic. That is part of it. STOP CRYING ABOUT IT, go and enjoy the festival, and next year you'll have a smoother trip thanks to the state.

    -- Posted by ZRXguy on Fri, Oct 9, 2009, at 9:06 AM
  • I am glad that after all the many years of neglect, West Walnut Street is finally getting some attention. This road is very heavily traveled. Greencastle may well be the only county seat in Indiana with out an improved state or federal highway running westward. There have been many accidents on this narrow, hilly, bumpy, rough excuse for a road. I hope the improperly slanted curves will be built up so as to hold a car to the road better and that a blind hill be cut down for improved vision. Hooray for those involved in the bringing of this long needed improvement CHEERS!!!

    -- Posted by all-in! on Fri, Oct 9, 2009, at 9:36 AM
  • My posting from yesterday mysteriously disappeared...well it is the Halloween season. My hope is that they actually REsurface W. Walnut - not just some chip and seal crap like they did from the Big 4 road west about ten years ago. Also not like they did back in '80 when they took landowners property to address the dangerous curves and made them WORSE. Having lived out here 30 years I couldn't count the number of people we've helped scrape off the corners. Yes they were going too fast - but that's because the curves were rebuilt and flatten out 1/2 way through, then they throw the unsuspecting visiting driver right through a fence. If you're going to undertake this during the busiest time of year at least get it right.

    -- Posted by countyboy on Fri, Oct 9, 2009, at 9:46 AM
  • Does anyone know exactly where the construction begins & ends? Maybe a couple miles of gravel roads could bypass the construction and allow festivalers back on the main road. Maybe the construction won't be too bad on Saturday.

    INDOT is pretty lame.

    -- Posted by Et tu Brutus? on Sat, Oct 10, 2009, at 7:44 AM
  • hoop,

    if you recall i didn't refer to the country's financial anything. how about "blessed" be a better word than "lucky", because family health problems are the result of my financial status.

    not that you really care; you make your self out to be a pretty shallow person :(

    -- Posted by lclrdr on Sun, Oct 11, 2009, at 9:35 PM
  • No one blessed me.

    But you're right, I don't care.

    -- Posted by hoop2077 on Mon, Oct 12, 2009, at 7:49 PM
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