A major intersection in Greenwood that has been under construction since May will reopen this week, but a neighboring intersection will close immediately afterward for at least a month.
A new roundabout at Smith Valley Road and Madison Avenue, as well as an improved intersection at Smith Valley and U.S. 31, are expected to reopen as early as today. But it may take utility crews until the end of the week to wrap things up, city engineer Daniel Johnston said.
The city and INDOT will want to test all of the traffic signals and sensors before they open the roads to traffic. That is why they are hesitant to put a time stamp on it.
"The last thing I want is for people to make plans to use it on the way to a business meeting or something and then realize it’s still closed," capital projects manager Kevin Steinmetz said. "It really depends on a variety of elements coming together."
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Crews were installing decorative columns and putting final touches on the traffic signals Monday morning.
Phase one of the project took about a month longer than originally planned due to weather and minor change orders, Steinmetz said.
"Overall, for a project of this magnitude and complexity, we didn’t do too bad," he said.
The roundabout and "jug handle" turn on Smith Valley Road just east of U.S. 31 were the first part of a two-phase project that will help traffic flow better at the three major intersections south of downtown. It is estimated that about 30,000 vehicles pass through the area every day.
The project has been years in the making. The three intersections on Smith Valley Road are so close together that it made for a traffic nightmare for years, city officials said.
The roundabout, which is in the middle of the three intersections at Madison, will alleviate stopped traffic. Several left turns have been removed as well. A "jug handle," which is similar to a highway ramp, is new to Greenwood and most city streets. Drivers heading east on Smith Valley Road will no longer be able to turn left onto U.S. 31. They will have to continue straight through the light and use the jug handle to wrap around and go north on U.S. 31.
Once they do open it to traffic, crews will close Meridian Street, which has been used as a detour route for some driving north or south through Greenwood. Work on that intersection is expected to last about a month depending on the weather, Steinmetz said.
"Meridian has significantly less traffic, so it’ll be a bit easier on traffic," he said.
Once phase two is done, drivers will not be able to make left turns onto Smith Valley Road from Meridian Street. Those who want to travel east on Smith Valley from Meridian will need to turn right and use the roundabout at Madison to essentially make a U-turn.
The $2.9 million price tag for the entire project hasn’t changed, Johnston said. They’re still on track to complete it for less than that amount, he said.
Greenwood officials are looking forward to the project being done because construction has resulted in a lot more traffic on Main Street through downtown, Worthsville Road to the south, and Fry and County Line Roads to the north, Steinmetz said.
Smith Valley Road is a major east-west route for folks traveling through the middle of Greenwood, he said.
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Do you travel through this area? Here is what you need to know about your commute once the new roundabout at Smith Valley Road and Madison Avenue, and improved intersection at Smith Valley and U.S. 31 reopens:
No more left turns from Smith Valley Road to U.S. 31. Drivers will need to use Madison Avenue or the new "jug handle" to go north instead;
If you’re traveling east on Smith Valley and want to go north on U.S. 31, continue through the intersection and use the "jug handle" on the right to loop around onto U.S. 31.;
If you’re traveling west on Smith Valley and want to go south on U.S. 31, take the third exit on the roundabout at Madison Avenue. You will not be able to make a left turn at U.S. 31;
Use Main Street and Madison Avenue as detours for construction at Smith Valley and Meridian Street.
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