The official detour route for the planned closure of Main Street between Beechview Drive and Madison Avenue beginning on Sept. 20
Submitted Map | City of Greenwood
Planned water main replacements along Main Street in Greenwood have at least one Old Town shop concerned about the effects on business.
On Monday, the Main Street-Madison Avenue intersection closed for a water main replacement by Indiana American Water, or IAW. This intersection closure is proceeding as planned and is on track for completion by Tuesday, said Jackie Byland, an engineering manager for IAW.
This is not the only water main replacement planned for Old Town this month, however. The westbound lanes of Main Street between Beechview Drive and Madison Avenue will close starting Sept. 20 for a water main replacement as well.
This closure is expected to last for two months, until Nov. 15. Both projects will take place as the Main Street Streetscape Project continues construction, officials say.
The current water main located on Beechview Drive along Main Street is 90 years old and is undersized for the area. The main is currently four inches, while a modern main for an area like this would be 12 inches, Byland said.
“The new main will be 12 inches, which is more typical for this area,” she said.
The water main replacement is needed to improve water flow in the area for fire departments. A four-inch main is pretty small for fighting fires, and causes issues with getting enough water flow to fight the fire. In conjunction with the city’s fire department, IAW identified this area as a location where they could improve the flow, IAW officials said.
The flow improvement is a key goal of the project, said Joe Loughmiller, an IAW spokesperson.
“The big message here is to make sure that the fire department has the ability to fight fires in the area,” Loughmiller said. “That can impact insurance rates, so it’s important to make these types of improvements.”
Prior to the closure, IAW met with nearby residents and businesses and held an open house for residents to come and see the plans. The company had a decent turnout and people appreciated officials’ efforts to talk with residents, he said.
Some business owners still have concerns. One is Kenneth Fitzpatrick, the owner of Ginger Bear Ink in Old Town, who was not able to attend the meeting because he didn’t learn about it too late to attend. Fitzpatrick’s tattoo shop is located just west of the intersection of Main Street and Madison Avenue, and he is very concerned about how the project will impact his business.
“They started tearing up everything in front of my shop. You can’t even get through or up in front of my shop, ” Fitzpatrick said.
Since Main Street shut down for construction on Monday, Fitzpatrick has noticed a decrease in business. A lot of the shop’s business comes from people driving by who see the shop’s flashing lights. However, if people are unable to drive on Main Street, then they won’t be enticed to come in, he said.
“You can’t even drive by and see that now,” Fitzpatrick said. “How does business come back through that?”
Fitzpatrick’s concerns stretch into the second planned closure as well. He doesn’t believe people are going to want to deal with the hassle of road construction in order to stop in his shop.
“It’s already been an issue,” he said.
He’s also concerned about the possible water shutoffs needed for the project. Water access is key to his business, and if he doesn’t have water, he can’t do tattoos, he said.
If water is shut off temporarily, IAW will notify affected property owners ahead of time, IAW officials said.
The timing of closure was designed to be in close proximity to the city’s road work projects in the area. IAW officials did not want to have to close these streets again next year after the city’s projects were completed, Loughmiller said.
“It’s an inconvenience, but it’s a very short duration. We’re not going to be there for several months,” he said.
Water main replacements are also planned for other streets in Old Town Greenwood beginning in 2023, including on Euclid Avenue, Wiley Street and Broadway Street. Exact timelines are unavailable as the plans are still very preliminary, but the reasons for the replacements are the same as for the projects taking place this year, Byland said.
“We do plan to have subsequent public meetings to discuss (these projects) with residents,” she said.
If residents do have any questions, they are encouraged to contact IAW at 1-800-492-8373. They should tell operators what they are calling about so they can be connected to someone with information about the projects, Loughmiller said.
DETOUR ROUTES
Here’s a look at the detour routes for the two planned water main replacements.
Main Street and Madison Avenue intersection closure
Timeline: Sept. 12-20
Detour: The official route for drivers follows Market Plaza to Surina Way. From there, drivers should follow Meridian Street to Broadway Street to get to Madison Avenue.
Main Street between Beechview Drive and Madison Avenue closure
Timeline: Sept. 20-Nov. 15
Detour: The official route for drivers travelling eastbound on Main Street follows Beechwood Drive to Lincoln Street. From there, the route goes to Market Plaza to Surina Way to Meridan Street. Westbound Main Street drivers should follow this route in reverse.
Source: City of Greenwood
