By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw
WARSAW — After years of comments and research, preliminary plans for a limited access US 30 highway across Kosciusko County are coming together.
Recommendations for 14 intersections along the highway in Kosciusko County were released by Indiana Department of Transportation recently and final recommendations are now expected by about the end of the year after one more round is issued later this summer.
The ProPel US 30 Level 2 recommendations are contained in a 300+ report you can read here.
A level 3 report that further refines plans will be released later this summer. A final report is expected by the end of the year.
Much of the level 2 report focuses on how to adjust existing intersections with a mix of proposals that include overpasses, underpasses and highway interchanges and other strategies.
Finishing the recommendations would be a significant milestone.
“Once we get that final list of recommendations, the project will move forward to INDOT’s project development process, move into the environmental stages, design … moving toward construction in future years,” said Natalie Garrett, an INDOT spokesperson for the central offic.
While not finalized, interchanges are being suggested for SR 19, CR 800W, Parker Street, Center Street, CR 250E and SR 13.
Here is a recap of some of the biggest recommendations.
The Center Street intersection has seen 90 crashes in the past five years.
Current proposals include converting the intersection to an interchange, developing an underpass, and utilizing traffic signal improvements.
The Parker Street intersection has seen 173 crashes in the past five years, including one fatality.
The report said the idea of closing the intersection has been heavily opposed via public comments due to nearby hospitals and residential areas.
Current proposals being considered include converting the intersection to an interchange, developing an underpass, and utilizing traffic signal improvements.
The Anchorage Road intersection has seen 114 crashes in the past five years. Three fourths of those were rear-end accidents. Proposals being considered include creating a crossroad overpass, converting the intersection to a right-in, right-out only configuration, new traffic signal improvements and a roundabout.
One interesting proposal that was mentioned in its most recent report was a recommentday from public stakeholders was establishment of an express lane stretching for four miles from CR 250E to SR 15, however, Garrett said that is no longer being considered.
She said she was unsure where the idea came from.
Reconstructing US 30 from Ohio to a point near Valparaiso has still not been assigned specific funding, but Gov. Eric Holcomb told News Now Warsaw recently that he considers it a top priority.
Funding is one of the next big hurdles.
Once the PEL study is complete, as projects are identified by INDOT, they will go through the normal call for projects which is a statewide process for matching projects to funding opportunities, Garrett said.
As identified projects move forward, they will be placed in the five-year funding plan for project development and construction, she said.
The on-going study will identify reasonable alternatives for planning areas (3-5 mile segments of intersections and roadway) in the Level 3 alternative analysis later this year.
More public meetings will be planned.
Garrett said public information meetings will be announced after the Level 3 alternative analysis is unveiled this summer.
The community office hours are opportunities to discuss questions about Level 2 alternatives through April.
