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Two street projects ready to come to an end in Greencastle
A pair of major construction projects affecting traffic on two sides of town are coming to an end, the Greencastle Redevelopment Commission was advised Wednesday evening.
Construction on the Washington Street streetscape project between Vine and Bloomington streets is expected to be finished early next week except for the streetlights and street tree portions of the project, Mayor Sue Murray said.
Meanwhile, the Indianapolis Road project -- bounded by the stoplights at 10th Street (Taco Bell/Speedway) and State Road 240 (entrance to former Mallory Capacitor Corp./ Dixie Chopper property) -- is virtually complete.
Washington Street got the most attention at the brief monthly meeting at City Hall.
"The contractors (OLCO of Batesville) hope to be out of here at the beginning of next week," the mayor said of the streetscape work, indicating that the majority of the Washington Street project then would be complete.
A dozen streetlights, another part of the streetscape package, are due to arrive next month and OLCO personnel must return to install those along Washington Street to match existing lights around the square, the mayor added.
Soon after that, 15 street trees are due to be planted in the area between Vine and Locust streets. Greencastle Department of Public Works personnel will do the honors there.
Originally, the target date for completing construction work between downtown and Bloomington Street was stipulated as Sept. 20 in a contract between the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) and OLCO, the general contractor. INDOT, however, has granted the contractor a few extra days after a couple of change-orders were necessary and a rainy day or two intervened.
Overall, the new streetlights and trees, wider sidewalks and corner bump-outs (along with improved drainage) are designed to give Washington Street "more of a neighborhood feel rather than a truck route," it was noted early on in the project.
Meanwhile, the repair work and upgrading of Indianapolis Road is basically complete as the construction firm J.S. McCullough Excavating of Bainbridge has brought the almost half-million-dollar project in under budget and by deadline as promised.
The $447,282 project began with a bang Aug. 13 with installation of a new drain tile completely under the roadway just west of the 240 intersection.
On Wednesday, all that remained of the job, Mayor Murray noted, was an adjustment to the drainage on the south side of the road near the People Pathways trail. That work will assure that water will not pool up and affect the newly resurfaced pathway.
One other Indianapolis Road modification was the addition of a small culvert and pipe near the Greencastle American Legion Post on the north side of Indianapolis Road. It is expected to provide better drainage of that area as well.
In addition to the drainage aspects of the work, the Indianapolis Road project has involved repairs to the three lanes of pavement, the addition of curbs and gutters and resurfacing of the portion of the People Pathway that runs along the south side of the street.
A major aspect of the project was a significant upgrade to the south edge of the Indianapolis Road pavement. What has been the far right lane for the past several years was once essentially just a thin berm area of a two-lane state highway (240) before that section of roadway came under city jurisdiction and was widened to three lanes.
The three-lane road has now been completely blacktopped and re-striped the entire length from Round Barn Road/10th Street to 240/Veterans Highway as McCullough has quite noticeably finished up the majority of the project.
"Grass is already even growing," Redevelopment Commission Vice President Drew Brattain pointed out.
Meanwhile, grass is also being laid as sod in areas along Washington Street as signs there also point to near-completion.