Worthsville Road plan moving forward with construction set for this year

<p>In a one-mile stretch west of U.S. 31, the multimillion-dollar plan to widen Worthsville Road across Greenwood is forcing some families to move their homes, and changing the lay of the land for a large church and centuries-old farm.</p><p>Construction on this section of the project between U.S. 31 and Averitt Road, which is slated to start later this year, is part of a years-long effort to widen Worthsville Road, add several roundabouts and eliminate 90-degree turns. Construction is expected to cost upwards of $20 million when it’s all said and done, and continue in phases through 2021. It is needed, in part, to prepare for Interstate 69, which will run through the northwest corner of the county resulting in more traffic along the city’s east-west corridors.</p><p>At a recent meeting, the city’s Redevelopment Commission approved spending $253,585 more to buy up portions of several properties located between U.S. 31 and Averitt Road. That doesn’t include the costs to relocate some of the mobile homes located in Pebble Creek and Greenwood Estates, which the city agreed to pay for, or the actual road construction, which is expected to start in the spring of 2020.</p>[sc:text-divider text-divider-title="Story continues below gallery" ]Click here to purchase photos from this gallery<p>The cost to buy homes or land in the mobile home parks was up to more than $52,000 last month. As of Thursday, the cost to relocate those homes or families is nearly three times that, at $148,000, Johnston said.</p><p>Twenty-seven mobile homes are impacted by the road project.</p><p>Whether a home can be moved and where it can be moved depends on the type of insurance the homeowner has, Johnston said. The most expensive moves are actually those homes that are being moved within the same mobile home park, but to different lots, due to them being owned by the mobile home park itself.</p><p>The most expensive move so far cost $24,550, he said.</p><p>Some of those moves are already underway. Others are still being negotiated, he said.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>Redevelopment commission member Bryan Harris asked if the city had discussions with the church to see how the project impacts their access to the road and future plans for the land.</p><p>The city met with the church one time, Johnston said.</p><p>“They were definitely concerned about having access (off Worthsville), which is why we’re providing another access point by putting in a driveway across from Autumnwood Drive,” Johnston said.</p><p>The road project will also impact Callon Family Farm, which has been located in the 300 and 400 block of Worthsville Road since the late 1800s, Johnston said.</p><p>The farm owner requested changes to the city’s proposal, which raised the cost of that acquisition by about $2,700.</p><p>The owners wanted the driveways moved to lessen the impact on trees on the property, but the city initially said no because it would have pushed back the timing of the environmental approvals that were needed, Johnston said.</p><p>Later, INDOT determined it would not effect the environmental approval, so they went ahead and made the changes the farm owner asked for.</p><p>“The modifications we were able to make to the driveways, the owner was appreciative and definitely said it would smooth over their agreement,” Johnston said. “They were very concerned had the original plan moved forward, so this definitely sweetened the deal for them.”</p><p>The redevelopment commission was on board with the changes, unanimously approving $64,415 for less than half an acre of land.</p>