Spring is here, and so is another season of road construction for drivers to navigate despite the ongoing coronavirus crisis and stay-at-home orders.
Franklin, Greenwood and the state are working on several projects throughout the county, including a new roundabout in Franklin and the next phase of Greenwood’s massive Worthsville Road and Western Regional Interceptor projects.
Some projects are expected to be done ahead of schedule due to limited traffic and school closures.
Franklin to finish downtown makeover, add new roundabout
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Click here to purchase photos from this galleryFranklin construction includes a new roundabout, more pedestrian walkways and the completion of new and improved gateways into downtown.
The first phase of the $2.5 million reconstruction of South Main Street to U.S. 31 began April 1, and closed the street from Champ Ulysses Street to U.S. 31.
There is no set date for the end of phase one, but phase two will begin immediately after, from Young’s Creek to Champ Ulysses, said Mark Richards, city engineer.
The bulk of that construction is expected to wrap up by the end of November, and the entire project will be completed in June 2021. Aesthetically, it will look similar to the reconstruction of Jefferson Street and North Main Street, Richards said.
Several residents live along South Main Street, and the city and contractor work to consistently update residents with detours and information about the work taking place in front of their homes, he said.
Construction crews are also starting work on the west gateway into Franklin at Jefferson Street. This is a combination of two projects that will cost a total of $2.8 million.
One project includes widening and connecting pedestrian walking trails along West Jefferson Street, from the fairgrounds to Westview Drive. That work is being done along the side of Jefferson Street, so no road closures are expected except for occasional lane closures if workers are close to the street. Right now, crews are working on a pedestrian bridge and replacing light poles, Richards said.
“The entrances to the city, we really want to make them pop out,” Richards said. “We’re really coming into the home stretch of a lot of these improvement projects.”
A new roundabout is also part of that construction, connecting Westview Drive, State Road 44 and State Road 144, near Custer Baker Intermediate School. The entire intersection will be closed while crews work to get that project done as quickly as possible.
The roundabout project is being funded by the Highway Safety Improvement program to make the intersection safer, Richards said.
“There was an issue with accidents at the intersection in the past,” he said. “That’s how a project gets HSIP funding, if there is a safety issue.”
Utility work for the roundabout started ahead of schedule after schools closed for the rest of the school year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Before, the plan was to complete the roundabout in the summer when school was out to avoid bus traffic, but work is beginning now, he said.
Richards expects that construction to wrap up well before the August deadline, he said.
More work to repave alleys throughout the city will continue this year. The city plans to work on alleys north of Madison Street up to Howe Street, as well as on Johnson and Young streets. It will cost about $300,000.
Additional pedestrian crossing signals will also be placed along Jefferson Street at two of the mid-block crossings near Court Street and the farmer’s market lot, as well as one at the Home Avenue intersection.
With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, contractors are required to comply with social distancing and also have workers wear personal protective equipment when working side by side with each other, Richards said.
“We know there’s going to be instances where workers are in close contact, but they also have to comply with the PPE requirement,” he said. “We haven’t seen it as an issue.”
Greenwood repaving streets, continuing Worthsville Road expansion
Starting this spring, the City of Greenwood will work on about $540,000 worth of mill and overlay projects on several roads. The money is part of a matching grant provided by the Indiana Department of Transportation, said Daniel Johnston, city engineer.
The following roads will be milled this construction season: Bridgecreek Crossing, Bridgebend Run, Roundhouse Circle, Lake Ridge Lane, Lake Point Circle, Lake Point Lane North, Lake Point Lane South, Stoneybrook Court, Stoneybrook Drive, Creekside Lane and Kara Lane. These projects will not completely close the roads, and crews will be controlling traffic flow in those areas.
Also part of this grant is the complete reconstruction and repaving of Kirkwood Court, Cambridge Court and Meridian Meadows Court, which will cost about $728,000; half of that is covered by the Indiana Department of Transportation.
Utility relocation has begun in preparation for construction of Section 3 of the Worthsville Road expansion project, which will stretch west on Worthsville from U.S. 31 to Averitt Road. This $9.2 million project is expected to last two construction seasons, and wrap up sometime in 2021, Johnston said.
The goal of the entire project is to improve east-west traffic flow through the city. Construction will take place during the spring, summer and fall this year and next year. Crews will widen the road and add a roundabout. There will be no full road closures during the construction, and crews will be responsible for maintaining traffic flow while working.
Also on the city’s list of projects beginning later this year is the next phase of the Madison Avenue streetscape construction. This is part of a $12.5 million project to improve Madison Avenue from Smith Valley Road to County Line Road. Crews will tear up and replace the road, and add bike and pedestrian lanes.
Construction on the first phase was completed in 2018, and this phase will begin later this year once funding is in order, Johnston said.
Morgantown Road between Fairview Road and West Nance Lane is also closed for the construction of Greenwood’s western regional interceptor, a $62.2 million project that will replace 10 miles of Greenwood’s aging pipelines and lift stations in White River Township, between State Road 135 and State Road 37.
The next roads to close in June for the interceptor project are Wakefield Road, between Wakefield Trace and Pennswood Road, and Inni Way, between Innisbrooke Trail and Paddock Road in the Wakefield subdivision.
Each of the closures for this project should last around two to three weeks.
Additionally, later this year, the city will begin its annual repaving projects. This year, Brewer Place, Fairview Drive South and Carney Street will be repaved. Bidding for this project opens today, so an exact cost hasn’t been determined, Johnston said.
INDOT wrapping up state road projects
INDOT is working on a few local projects, including repaving a stretch of State Road 144 in the county.
The $1.7 million project includes patching, repaving and milling 4.8 miles of State Road 144, between Bargersville and Franklin, according to an INDOT news release. Construction is expected to wrap up in June.
Travelers should expect lane closures along that stretch of the road for the next three months, with flaggers controlling traffic. Stop light signal timing at the State Road 135 intersection will also be impacted, the news release said.
The state is also reconstructing a bridge on State Road 144. That project is expected to wrap up next week, according to an INDOT news release. The bridge approach is located at State Road 144 and Youngs Creek in Franklin, just west of State Road 44.
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Here is a rundown of the road projects planned this spring and summer in Johnson County:
Franklin
South Main Street to U.S. 31 $2.5 million construction project. The first phase began April 1, closing the street from Champ Ulysses Street to U.S. 31. No set end date for phase one;
Pedestrian walking trails along West Jefferson Street, from the fairgrounds to Westview Drive. No road closures are expected, except for occasional lane closures if workers are close to the street;
Roundabout connecting Westview Drive, State Road 44 and State Road 144, near Custer Baker Intermediate School. Utility work being done now, with construction starting this spring;
Repaving alleys north of Madison Street up to Howe Street, as well as on Johnson and Young streets. This will cost approximately $300,000;
New pedestrian crossing signals along Jefferson Street at two of the mid-block crossings near Court Street and the farmer’s market lot, as well as one at the Home Avenue intersection.
Greenwood
Section 3 of the Worthsville Road project, west from U.S. 31 to Averitt Road. The $9.2 million project is expected to last two construction seasons, and will wrap up sometime in 2021;
The following roads will be milled over the construction season: Bridgecreek Crossing, Bridgebend Run, Roundhouse Circle, Lake Ridge Lane, Lake Point Circle, Lake Point Lane North, Lake Point Lane South, Stoneybrook Court, Stoneybrook Drive, Creekside Lane and Kara Lane. This is part of a $540,000 matching grant with the Indiana Department of Transportation;
Complete reconstruction and repaving of Kirkwood Court, Cambridge Court and Meridian Meadows Court, which will cost around $728,000;
Brewer Place, Fairview Drive South and Carney Street will be repaved;
Morgantown Road between Fairview Road and West Nance Lane is also closed for the construction of Greenwood’s western regional interceptor. Wakefield Road, between Wakefield Trace and Pennswood Road, and Inni Way, between Innisbrooke Trail and Paddock Road will close in June.
State
Patching, repaving and milling 4.8 miles of State Road 144, between Bargersville and Franklin. The $1.7 million project is expected to wrap up in June;
Reconstruction of bridge approach at SR 144 and Youngs Creek in Franklin, just west of State Road 44. Expected to wrap up next week.
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