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U.S. 231 INDOT project could start as soon as May
The greatest spectacle in highway repair is coming to Greencastle as soon as this May.
Just don’t expect a lot of fast cars and checkered flags for this endeavor.
Long-awaited and Covid-delayed, the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) U.S. 231 rehabilitation is set to go out for bids in March, Greencastle Mayor Bill Dory told the Redevelopment Commission at its January meeting Wednesday evening.
Project bids are expected back from contractors in April with actual work beginning at early as May on a project that likely will heavily impact local traffic.
“It’s going to be a traffic issue for a couple years,” Dory told the City Council earlier this month,”but hopefully the pain will be worth the gain.”
Work will run 1.6 miles from Frazier Street on the north side of town to Veterans Memorial Highway on the south. The major project will include portions of all three city streets — Jackson Street, Washington Street and Bloomington Street -- that U.S. 231 encompasses as it snakes its way through the city.
The work will be done in sections, some of which are to be completed in 2022 with the rest in 2023.
“It’s still considered to be a two-year project with the initial part of Bloomington Street scheduled for this summer and then Washington and Jackson streets the following year,” Dory said.
The work to begin this spring 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.
The second construction season comes in 2023.
“Season two will be the heavy lifting, if you will,” Lisa Casler, RQAW Engineering project manager, told local residents last June at a public information meeting in Greencastle.
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.
As part of the 2023 project, the city will relocate a water line under the CSX railroad at Jackson Street and take the storm water north of the railroad to connect with the city stormwater system along Frazier Street. The city will also relocate a force main at Elizabeth and Jackson streets.
The latter is seen as a future benefit, Mayor Dory said, as a 22-inch storm main will be installed and run under Jackson Street.
The city recently contracted with Curry & Associates for engineering work on the two relocation projects totaling approximately $37,500.
While the overall project will require some land acquisition — 0.15 acres of permanent right-of-way and 0.70 acres of temporary right-of-way — the road itself will not look much different when the project is finished three years from now.
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.
The construction plan is to maintain one lane of traffic through the work zone.
Dory said Wednesday evening that INDOT intends to have another public information meeting about the project.