Road closures begin Monday as two Hobart roundabout projects move to the second phase of construction.
The intersection at Indiana 51 and Cleveland Avenue, one of the main gateways into Hobart, will be fully closed through early September, according to the Indiana Department of Transportation. The state contractor is Milestone Contractors North Inc.
The south and east legs of the roundabout will be constructed during this phase. The intersection will be closed from Liberty Street, west of the intersection to Cleveland Terrace, east of the intersection. Indiana 130 will be closed from just north of the intersection to just south of the intersection.
INDOT encouraged motorists to take alternate routes. The detours will follow U.S. 6 and Indiana 149 or U.S. 30, Interstate 65 and Interstate 94.
The $2.75 million construction project is being completed in phases and will be ongoing through mid-October.
At a 2021 public hearing, state officials cited 23 accidents from 2012 to 2015 at the intersection that’s near the Oak Savannah Trail that draws bicyclists trying to navigate it. Motorists disregarded traffic signals in all cases.
The state plans to construct 10-foot-wide sidewalks adjacent to portions of the roundabout, connecting segments of the Oak Savannah Trail and routing it around the intersection.
Meanwhile, in a second roundabout project, Marcella Boulevard will be closed at 61st Avenue on Monday.
The city said during Phase 2, one lane eastbound and westbound on 61st Avenue will remain open. The city’s Redevelopment Commission is overseeing the project.
The construction is expected to continue into September.
State hearing in St. John Thursday
In St. John, the Indiana Department of Transportation will host a 6 p.m. public hearing Thursday on a proposed roundabout at U.S. 231 and Parrish Avenue. It will be held at the St. John Town Hall, 10955 W 93rd Ave.
The proposed project involves constructing a roundabout with dual-lane approaches on U.S. 231 and single-lane approaches on Parrish Avenue.
INDOT said in its project overview, improvements are needed to reduce crash potential and delays. The intersection has an elevated crash frequency, with rear-end collisions accounting for 76% of reported crashes. The frequency and severity of crashes are higher than expected for this type of intersection, INDOT said.
The existing signal infrastructure will be removed, and new signs and lighting will be added. Each approach leg will have a splitter island to separate and manage traffic approaching the center island.
Each intersection quadrant will have pedestrian sidewalks with buffers, and the central island will have a truck apron. The primary need for this project is to reduce crash potential and user delay at the intersection.
Project representatives will be available to answer questions during an open house beginning at 5 p.m. Public statements for the record will be taken as part of the public hearing procedure. View project documents on the INDOT website, www.in.gov/indot/files/US231_1702994_Roundabout-Presentation.pdf
Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
