Representatives from the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) filled City Hall in New Castle with blueprints Wednesday evening outlining a massive project to fix Broad Street, the road running through the heart of the downtown business district.
INDOT knows Broad Street as Ind. 38. As a state highway, it falls under their jurisdiction and maintenance responsibility. Beginning March, 2017, the roadway and intersections from Ind. 3 to 31st Street will be upgraded. The project goals are to improve driving conditions, increase pedestrian connectivity and safety, extend pavement life, improve stormwater drainage, and enhance the general look of the corridor.
Project manager JoAnn Wooldridge said INDOT first started planning the project in 2012. INDOT spokesman Nathan Riggs said the work should be done before Thanksgiving, although that is dependent on the weather. The project is estimated to cost $7 million.
The city hosted a public open house Wednesday in Council Chambers so residents could see preliminary plans for the project and talk with the engineer design team. According to preliminary plans, individual sections of pavement from Ind. 3 to 15th Street with be replaced. Intersections and driveways will be improved to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The intersection at 15th and Broad Street will be the start of a complete road reconstruction that extends just beyond the east city limits.
Riggs said semi traffic on the state highway will be detoured away from New Castle during the project. The detour will direct traffic along Ind. 1 to Interstate 70 and on to Ind. 3. Local traffic will not be stopped and the road should never be fully shut down because of INDOT’s work, Riggs said.
Crawford, Murphy & Tilly (CMT) consulting firm created the designs for the New Castle plan. CMT engineer Richard Condre said the project will not interfere with traffic signals. INDOT may adjust or add pedestrian crossing buttons, Condre said.
New Castle Mayor Greg York is excited about the project, calling the timing for the INDOT project “excellent.” He said the new road will compliment the major renovation work going on in downtown New Castle. New restaurants are set to open soon in the Jennings Building, and tenants have begun moving into the new downtown apartments. The mayor also mentioned the 1400 Plaza project planned for the lot east of the Jennings Building, which should serve as a meeting place for a variety of downtown activities as well as parking.
The mayor knows that the project will inconvenience a lot of people. He hopes that New Castle residents will keep their eyes on the long-term goal.
“By the end of 2018, people aren’t going to recognize downtown,” York said. “People are going to be just amazed.”
York also likes the fact that the railroad tracks will be repaired between 15th and 16th Street on Broad Street, which the mayor called “atrocious.” Broad Street will be shut down for 12 hours during that repair work.
INDOT project manager JoAnn Wooldridge said the state highway department will also complete a safety project at County Road 300 W near Walnut Ridge Campgrounds at the same time as the Broad Street project.
For more information on the INDOT project, visit City Hall, 227 N. Main St., or call INDOT Customer Service at 1-855-463-6848.