Last year’s Franklin infrastructure projects included seal coating city trails.
Millions in infrastructure projects are planned this year all over Franklin.
The projects aren’t just a wish list. They’re needed to improve traffic flow and public safety, Mayor Steve Barnett said of the long list of projects.
Barnett discussed several of the projects during his State of the City address. The Franklin City Council unanimously approved $2.6 million for some of the projects in February.
The $2.6 million comes from more than $1.28 million in unspent money from last year, and a $1.33 million special local income tax distribution paid to the city, a correction made due to an underestimate of income taxes collected by the state from people who work in Franklin. If the city is again able to secure $1 million in Community Crossing matching grant funds, it plans to complete a total of $2.5 million in street and alley paving, including major work on South Street.
The full project list is worth many millions and will be funded by many different sources, including the Board of Public Works and Safety budget, the Franklin Redevelopment Commission and grants from the Indiana Department of Transportation and Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Organization (IMPO).
Notable projects to be funded by the city’s redevelopment commission are a $1.5 million roundabout to be built this summer at Graham Road and Commerce Drive, $300,000 in paving on Bartram Parkway and the final two phases of Jim Black Road reconstruction, which is expected to cost more than $871,000.
The roundabout was planned, but city officials moved up the timeline on the Jim Black Road project due to the special local income tax distribution, and due to unexpectedly good bids on the project. As a result, the full road reconstruction from State Road 44 to Upper Shelbyville Road will be finished this year instead of next, Barnett said.
The partially IMPO-funded Yandes Street reconstruction project will be rebid in May, and could get underway this year if all goes well, Barnett said. Construction was expected to start last year, but was delayed due to unexpectedly high bids that exceeded the engineer’s estimate, he said.
The project was refined to get the best price for taxpayers, Barnett said.
The city was also able to get additional funding from IMPO to make the project more affordable. IMPO authorized $2.32 million in funding for the project, which is expected to cost about $3.7 million, according to the latest engineer’s estimate.
Many non-road-related infrastructure projects are also planned this year.
Franklin City Hall needs about $225,000 in repairs. Bricks are separating from the building, which has caused water to drain inside the building and compromise the baseboards in the council chambers. A flaw in the brickwork near the parapet invited a nesting bird, which got inside the planning and engineering department, Barnett said.
Several pedestrian safety features will be added this year, too, including a new sidewalk on Hospital Road between U.S. 31 and Creekside Elementary School, and pedestrian crossings on Hospital Road, Jackson Street at the Johnson County West Annex, and King Street and Middleton Road. The concrete wall and wooden boardwalk at Jefferson and Main streets will also be repaired.
A $460,000 trail on West State Road 44 will be built with a grant from INDOT. The trail will connect nearby neighborhoods to Custer Baker Intermediate School.
The playing surfaces at Morgan Park’s basketball, pickleball and tennis courts will also be repaired. The court surfaces have degraded over time, Barnett said.
Several projects that appeared on the mayor’s 2021 list of projects but were not able to be completed are on the list again this year, with money encumbered from last year’s budget to pay for them. That includes a decorative trash enclosure in the alley by the Artcraft Theatre and signage on a trail on South Main Street.
