When it’s all said and done, Greenwood will spend more than $2 million to improve a less-than-one-mile stretch of Worthsville Road, part of a years-long effort to prepare for increased east-west traffic that is expected to stem from Interstate 69 once it is built through the county.
The Indiana Department of Transportation chose Rieth Riley Construction for the latest phase of Worthsville Road construction, which will pick back up in the spring. Rieth Riley submitted the lowest bid of $9.2 million, much lower than the $10.7 million estimate, said Daniel Johnston, city engineer. Three companies submitted bids.
The Greenwood Redevelopment Commission approved funding for the third section in July. The city is responsible for 20% of the cost, which is about $1.8 million, redevelopment commission members learned last week.
Improvements to the entire road through the county is expected to cost Greenwood upwards of $20 million, and continue in phases through 2021. It is needed, in part, to prepare for I-69, which will be built through the northwest corner of the county in the coming years.
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Construction on Worthsville Road Section 3, which is now slated to start in the spring, nearly a year after it was initially scheduled to start, is part of a years-long effort to widen the road, add several roundabouts and eliminate 90-degree turns. Plans include a roundabout at the intersection of Worthsville and Averitt roads.
Work on the transformation of Worthsville Road through the county began with design and planning in 2008, according to a news release from the city. As Greenwood experienced significant growth, officials recognized a need for improved east-west connectivity for southern portions of the city, the news release said.
The city completed the last section in 2016. Major highlights included a four-lane, boulevard roadway with no stops between Interstate 65 and U.S. 31, multi-path trails on both the south and north sides of the road and a roundabout at Sheek Road.
Construction of that stretch, from Collins Road to Griffith Road, was completed last month, with minor final restoration scheduled for 2020, including a multi-use path and widened 12-foot lanes with shoulders, according to the news release.
In the less-than-one-mile stretch west of U.S. 31, construction has forced several families out of their homes, or to move them, and changed the lay of the land for a large church and centuries-old farm.
Twenty-seven mobile homes were impacted by the project, along with several signs, billboards and a bridge over Tracy Ditch. To date, relocations have cost the city about $466,000, according to city documents.
The city also bought about 3.5 acres of land from Greenwood Christian Church, which owns 66 acres on the northeast side of Worthsville and Averitt roads, for $126,870.
The city plans to add a detention pond on that land, and build another access road on that side of the church’s three properties.
Worthsville Road Section 2, from to Averitt Road to Honey Creek Road, is in design, Johnston said.
