As soon as Friday, part of a busy intersection in Greenwood will close as workers begin a project to redesign the area that more than 30,000 vehicles pass through daily.
If you typically drive through Smith Valley Road and Madison Avenue, your commute is about to change.
The city has been planning for years to build a roundabout at Smith Valley Road and Madison Avenue as part of a larger project to improve traffic flow in what has long been a heavily congested area. In addition to the roundabout, multiple left turns will be eliminated and a new style of turn lane, called a jug handle, will be added for traffic heading to U.S. 31 from Smith Valley Road.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]Click here to purchase photos from this gallery
Consultants have estimated that the improvements will result in a 45 percent reduction in traffic congestion.
But first, drivers will need to deal with orange barrels, closed intersections and detours.
Exactly when the work on the roundabout will begin depends on the weather. The goal is to close the intersection of Smith Valley Road and Madison Avenue on Friday, but that will depend on if Meridian Street is reopened by then, Greenwood capital projects manager Kevin Steinmetz said.
Meridian Street has been closed for weeks while work is done to for a project to redesign the intersection with Surina Way, so drivers can better see oncoming traffic and add a parking lot and new drainage system. Workers are preparing to repave the road, but when that work is done depends on the forecast in the coming days and how much rain falls, Steinmetz said.
City officials don’t want to have both Meridian Street and Madison Avenue closed at the same time. So the work on Meridian Street will have to be done before the city will close the intersection of Smith Valley Road and Madison Avenue, Steinmetz said. The same will be true for the second phase of the project, where left turns will be eliminated at the intersection of Smith Valley Road and Meridian Street. Meridian Street won’t be closed until Madison Avenue reopens, Steinmetz said.
Once the upcoming closure begins, drivers will need to find alternative routes through Greenwood, which could lead to heavier traffic on other roads. How construction will impact traffic patterns this summer isn’t known yet. With work on Madison Avenue and Emerson Avenue also taking place, drivers will have fewer options for navigating through Greenwood.
“That whole area will be a traffic problem until we get the roads finished, and I guess that is what it takes to accomplish our goals,” Greenwood City Council president Mike Campbell said.
Drivers should be on the alert for construction workers, but shouldn’t avoid coming downtown, as all businesses will remain accessible throughout the project, Steinmetz said.
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”What you need to know” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
Work is set to start as soon as this week on a new roundabout at Smith Valley Road and Madison Avenue. Here is what you need to know about the project and how it will impact your daily commute:
What is planned?
Phase 1: A roundabout will be constructed at the intersection of Smith Valley Road and Madison Avenue. A jug handle turn will be built on the southeast corner of U.S. 31 and Smith Valley Road.
Phase 2: On Madison Avenue, south of the roundabout, the road will be widened, adding lanes near U.S. 31; at the intersection of Smith Valley Road and Meridian Street, a concrete median will be added at the intersection to limit left turns; and on Smith Valley Road on the west side of U.S. 31, an additional westbound lane will be added.
What will be closed?
Phase 1: The intersection of Smith Valley Road and Madison Avenue.
Phase 2: The intersection of Smith Valley Road and Meridian Street.
How long?
Phase 1: Will begin as early as Friday and last 90 days.
Phase 2: Will begin after Phase 1 and last 30 days.
What are the detours?
Phase 1: Drivers should use Main Street and U.S. 31.
Phase 2: Drivers should use Main Street and Madison Avenue.
How to navigate the area when work is complete:
No more left turns from Smith Valley Road to U.S. 31. Drivers will need to use Madison Avenue or a new jug handle turn instead.
No left turns from Meridian Street onto Smith Valley Road. Drivers will need to make a right turn and then use the roundabout to turn around if they are wanting to go east on Smith Valley Road from Meridian Street.
[sc:pullout-text-end]
