(VANDERBURGH CO.) – The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) will host a public hearing on Tuesday July 21, 2020, at The Banquet Hall of the Vanderburgh 4-H Center 201 E. Boonville-New Harmony Road, the hearing will begin at 5:30 p.m.
The purpose of the public hearing is to offer all interested persons an opportunity to comment on current preliminary design plans to convert US 41 into a J-Turn configuration approximately 1,067 feet (ft.) south of Hillsdale Road to approximately 1,030 ft. north of Hillsdale Road, and incidental construction extending to approximately 650 ft. north of Radio Avenue, including Hillsdale Road and Radio Avenue approaches in Scott and Center Pierce Townships, Vanderburgh County, Indiana.
The purpose of this project is to improve the traffic operations and the overall safety performance of this portion of the US 41 corridor. The public hearing will follow Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) guidance, health and safety protocols including project team members wearing face masks and/or coverings, also encouraging attendees to do so, providing hand sanitizer, ample access to handwashing facilities, implementing social distancing, including monitoring the number of attendees participating to comply with local ordinances.
In addition, community members may wish to visit the project webpage at https://www.in.gov/indot/4057.htm to view project information, including the public hearing presentation and submit comments to the project team via mail or email. Persons with limited internet access may contact the project team to request project information be mailed to them.
Project team contact information: Metric Environmental, LLC, ATTN: Susan Castle, 6971 Hillsdale Road, Indianapolis, IN 46250, (317) 608-2730 SuanC@Metricenv.com. Matthew Bullock, INDOT Project Manager at INDOT Vincennes District, 3650 Old US Highway 41, Vincennes, IN 47591 MBullock1@indot.in.gov (855) 463-6848 (855) INDOT-4-U.
As proposed, the project involves converting US 41 into a J-Turn configuration. A 12 ft. wide southbound J-turn lane will be constructed beginning approximately 100 ft. south from its intersection with Hillsdale Road. The J-turn loop will be situated approximately 955 ft. south of its intersection with Hillsdale Road and will be widened to 20 ft. A 12 ft. wide northbound J-turn lane will be constructed beginning approximately 100 ft. north from its intersection with Hillsdale Road.
The 20 ft. wide J-turn loop will be situated approximately 960 ft. north of its intersection with Hillsdale Road, approximately 50 ft. south of bridges 041-82-03149 ASBL and 041-82-03149 ANBL, over Little Pigeon Creek. Bridges 041-82-03149 ASBL and 041-82-03149 ANBL, over Little Pigeon Creek, are excluded from this project. The existing 12 ft. wide US 41 northbound right-turn lane to Hillsdale Road will be extended approximately 350 ft.
A 12 ft. wide southbound US 41 right-turn lane onto Hillsdale Road will be added. The existing 12 ft. wide southbound and northbound travel lanes and shoulders will be milled and resurfaced. New median inlets and pipes will be installed to existing pipes within the median along US 41 for drainage. Riprap on geotextile will placed at the existing pipe outlets.
The median on US 41 from Radio Avenue north to the end of the project will be graded to drain. The existing westbound and eastbound left-turns and through traffic on Hillsdale Road will turn right, cross the two US 41 thru lanes, enter the J-turn median lane, proceed through the median U-turn, stop for on oncoming US 41 traffic, and complete the U-turn movement onto US 41.
Hillsdale Road approach on the west side of US 41 will be widened to approximately 114 ft. Concrete center curbs will be added at the westbound and eastbound Hillsdale Road approaches. With the exception of replacing the existing guardrail which attaches to the western end of the bridge on Hillsdale Road, east of US 41, no work will be conducted on or under the bridge. The existing 70 ft. long x 48 inches diameter Reinforced Concrete Pipe (RCP) located beneath Hillsdale Road, west of US 41, will be extended 22 ft. to the south with 48 inches diameter pipe and 42 ft. to the north with 48 inches diameter pipe for a total length of approximately 134 ft. to accommodate the approach widening.
Approximately 25 tons of riprap on 35 square yards (sys) of geotextile will be placed at the north and south ends of the extended pipe. The existing US 41 intersection with Radio Avenue will be converted to a right-in / right-out configuration, by installing a concrete center curb on the Radio Avenue approach and removing the median crossover pavement, in conjunction with this project. The median on US 41 will be reconstructed to remove the US 41 southbound left-turn on to Radio Avenue.
New signage, pavement markings, and highway lighting will be installed throughout the project limits. The traffic along US 41 and the east approach of the Hillsdale Road intersection will be maintained during construction, as will access to all properties. Traffic utilizing the west approach will be detoured to Old State Road for a portion of construction phasing.
Maintenance of Traffic (MOT) during construction will be presented during the public hearing. The project will require the acquisition of approximately 1.7 acres of perpetual highway easement from CSX railroad for INDOT access to conduct highway related work to include widening Hillsdale Road approach, west of US 41, the construction of the US 41 southbound right-turn lane to Hillsdale Road, grading, seeding, guardrail installation, and drainage structure modifications along the west side of US 41.
Construction is anticipated to begin June 1, 2022. The Federal Highway Administration and the INDOT have agreed that this project falls within the guidelines of a Categorical Exclusion Level 2. At present, both state and federal funds are anticipated for construction of the project with the total cost estimated at $2,205,682. No significant adverse impacts to the human and natural environment were found during the creation of this document.
The environmental documentation and preliminary design information is available to view prior at the following locations: Online INDOT Vincennes District https://www.in.gov/indot/4057.htm Persons with limited internet access may request project information be mailed, please contact Metric Environmental, LLC, ATTN: Susan Castle, 6971 Hillsdale Road, Indianapolis, IN 46250, (317) 608-2730, or SusanC@Metricenv.com.
Requests must be received prior to July 22, 2020. Public statements for the record will be taken as part of the public hearing procedure. All verbal statements recorded during the public hearing and all written comments submitted prior to, during and for a period of two (2) weeks following the hearing date, will be evaluated, considered and addressed in subsequent environmental documentation.
Written comments may be submitted prior to the public hearing and within the comment period to Metric Environmental, LLC, ATTN: Susan Castle, 6971 Hillsdale Road, Indianapolis, IN 46250 or SusanC@Metricenv.com or to Matthew Bullock, INDOT Project Manager at INDOT Vincennes District, 3650 Old US Highway 41, Vincennes, IN 47591 or MBullock1@indot.in.gov. INDOT respectfully requests comments to be submitted by Tuesday, August 4, 2020.
With advance notice, INDOT will provide accommodations for persons with disabilities with regards to participation and access to project information as part of the hearings process including arranging auxiliary aids, interpretation services for the hearing impaired, services for the sight-impaired and other services as needed.
In addition, INDOT will provide accommodations for persons of Limited English Proficiency (LEP) requiring auxiliary aids including language interpretation services and document conversion.
Should an accommodation be required please contact Matthew Bullock, INDOT Project Manager at INDOT Vincennes District, 3650 Old US Highway 41, Vincennes, IN 47591 or MBullock1@indot.in.gov.
