<p>Greenwood commuters can expect delays and detours on Madison Avenue again this summer as the city gears up to start the next phase of its multi-million dollar streetscape project.</p><p>Construction along Madison Avenue, between Noble Street and Fry Road, is part of a $12.5 million project to reconfigure the street through downtown Greenwood, from Smith Valley Road to County Line Road.</p><p>The Greenwood Redevelopment Commission this week unanimously approved $4.6 million for the second phase, the largest chunk of the project. The city spent $2.2 million on the first phase, from Pearl Street to Noble Street. A third phase, at Main Street, is planned for the future. </p><p>Indianapolis-based Calumet Civil Contractors was awarded the construction contract. </p>[sc:text-divider text-divider-title="Story continues below gallery" ]Click here to purchase photos from this gallery<p>Where exactly the money comes from has yet to be decided, since this particular section of Madison Avenue runs through three different tax-increment financing, or TIF, districts—Fry Road, east side and central, said Kevin Steinmetz, capital projects manager for the city.</p><p>One bond for $3 million already came from the Fry Road TIF to fund this section of the project, and the rest will come from either the central and east side TIF, he said. The city controller’s office will determine which TIF will fund that last $1.6 million based on what makes the most sense after weighing the costs of other projects in those areas.</p><p>City officials hope to start construction in the next month, and finish sometime in 2021. The completion date will rely on when the winter season starts and ends, Steinmetz said. </p><p>This phase will look similar, aesthetically, to the first phase, which wrapped up in the fall of 2018. The 12-foot wide pedestrian and bike trails will continue to Fry Road on the west side of Madison Avenue, and a 6-foot wide standard sidewalk will be added on the east side.</p><p>A notable difference with this phase is that left turn lanes will not be removed as Madison Avenue nears Fry Road, Steinmetz said. Several turn lanes were removed in the first phases of the project to make room for the trails, since Madison Avenue is narrow near downtown. The street widens to four lanes just south of Fry Road and continues north to County Line Road.</p><p>"Madison flares out kind of like a funnel," Steinmetz said. "It starts off for a while keeping the same profile … but as you get closer to the mall, it allows room to get larger separation from the bike and pedestrian trails and the traffic lanes."</p><p>There will not be any persistent full road closures during construction, and if there are any complete closures, they will be brief, he said. Madison Avenue will be remain open to traffic for the duration of the project, but there will be some restrictions. </p><p>Construction will happen in two parts, with two types of road closures. The first part will allow traffic to continue north and south on Madison Avenue, with the northbound lane shifting to flow through the middle left turn lane, Steinmetz said.</p><p>This will allow crews to update storm water sewers along the east side of the street, a challenge considering the road’s history, he said.</p><p>"Madison Avenue was a dirt road, then it had trains on it, then it was a state road … it doesn’t have a modern sewer system," Steinmetz said. "What we’re trying to do isn’t perfect, but it’s to install the best retrofit that we can in it."</p><p>The second part of construction will extend the trails. During this time, southbound travel will be closed and detoured, but northbound travel will remain open, he said.</p><p>Businesses along Madison Avenue will be accessible throughout construction.</p><p>The next section of the project will be focus on reimagining the Main Street and Madison Avenue intersection, a narrow stretch that needs widened, restructured and beautified. This part of the project is still in design stages, and there is no exact cost or timeline for construction, Steinmetz said.</p>[sc:pullout-title pullout-title="At a glance" ][sc:pullout-text-begin]<p>Here is a look at the timeline for the Madison Avenue streetscape project:</p><p><strong>Phase 1</strong></p><p>Where: Pearl Street to Noble Street</p><p>Started: April 2018</p><p>Completed: October 2018</p><p>Cost: $2.2 million</p><p>What was done: Crews tore out and rebuilt the road, the center turn lane was eliminated and a 12-foot wide bicycle and pedestrian trail separated from the road by a grass buffer was installed. It also included the addition of decorative lighting and crosswalks.</p><p><strong>Phase 2</strong></p><p>Where: Noble Street to Fry Road</p><p>Starts: Summer 2020</p><p>Expected completion: 2021</p><p>Cost: $4.6 million</p><p>What’s being done: Crews will tear out and rebuild the road to aesthetically match the first section between Pearl and Noble Streets. The bike and pedestrian trails will extend to Fry Road. The left turn lanes will remain as the road gets wider.</p>[sc:pullout-text-end]
