Public Hearing to be held February 15 for State Road 63 Reduced Conflict Intersection project in Vermillion County

 THE FOLLOWING IS AN INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION RELEASE

VERMILLION COUNTY, Ind. – The Indiana Department of Transportation announces the public hearing for the State Road 63 Reduced Conflict Intersection project will be held on Wednesday, February 15 at the American Legion, located at 922 W. Ferry Street, 47928 (also known as State Road 234 and County Road 480 N.) in Cayuga. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. The formal presentation will begin at 6:00 p.m. This public hearing was previously rescheduled due to weather. In the event of inclement weather, the public hearing will be held on Wednesday, February 22. The purpose of this proposed project is to improve safety and reduce the number of crashes on a specific segment of State Road 63, near the Beef House Restaurant & Dinner Theatre and the intersection of E. Co. Rd. 1650 N. in Highland Township. As proposed, the preferred alternative is to construct a new Reduced Conflict Intersection (median opening) on S.R. 63, approximately 390 ft. north of the north gas station drive to the truck plaza. This would eliminate the existing median opening on S.R. 63, located across from the north gas station drive. This project would also extend and raise the splitter islands at Co. Rd. 1650 N. New pavement markings, advanced street directional signs, and upgraded lighting will also be installed, along with one stormwater pipe in the grass median at the north end of the project limits. This alternative traffic operation will increase the efficiency at which trucks utilize this stretch of S.R. 63, and will also result in high driver compliance. The project length is approximately 0.08 mile, not including incidental construction. This project will occur within existing right-of-way. No permanent or temporary right-of-way will be required for this project. The maintenance of traffic for the project will require phased construction, and will not require a detour. The phased construction will involve: Phase One: This phase will include outside construction. Crews will be placing temporary traffic control devices and pavement markings close to the southbound, outside lane of traffic. Access to all properties will be maintained at all times during construction. In this phase, crews will be constructing the pavement bump-out for the Reduced Conflict Intersection (RCI), which will require restrictions of the southbound, outside lane. Once this phase is completed, crews will remove all temporary traffic control devices and pavement markings from the southbound, outside lane. Phase Two: This phase will include inside construction. Crews will be placing temporary traffic control devices and pavement markings to restrict both the northbound and southbound, inside lanes of traffic. Access to all properties will be maintained at all times during construction. Crews will construct the median pavement for the RCI, and also remove the existing median pavement between Co. Rd. 1650 N. and the RCI. Crews will then install permanent signage and pavement markings. Once this phase is completed, crews will remove all temporary traffic control devices and pavement markings from the northbound and southbound, inside lanes. INDOT will notify school corporations, local officials and emergency services of temporary restrictions prior to construction. Construction is currently scheduled to begin in spring 2024 and continue through summer 2024. Preliminary design plans along with the CE are available for review online at https://www.in.gov/indot/aboutindot/central-office/welcome-to-the-crawfordsville-district/sr-63-and-cr-1650-reduced-conflict-intersection/ Persons with limited internet access may request project information be mailed, please contact Metric Environmental, LLC, ATTN: Susan Castle, 6958 Hillsdale Road, Indianapolis, IN 46250, (317) 608-2730, or SusanC@Metricenv.com. Requests must be received prior to January 26, 2023. 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, 6958 Hillsdale Road, Indianapolis, IN 46250 or SusanC@Metricenv.com or to Arshad Ahmed, INDOT Project Manager at INDOT Crawfordsville District, 41 West 300 North, Crawfordsville, IN 47933 or arahmed@indot.in.gov. INDOT respectfully requests comments be submitted by Thursday, February 9, 2023. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), persons and/or groups requiring project information be made available in alternative formats are encouraged to contact the INDOT Crawfordsville District Office for the arrangement and coordination of services. Please contact Arshad Ahmed at 765-361-5258 or arahmed@indot.in.gov. In accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, persons and/or groups requiring project information be made available in another language are encouraged to contact the INDOT Crawfordsville District Office. Stay Informed Motorists in West Central Indiana can monitor road closures, road conditions, and traffic alerts any time via: Facebook: facebook.com/INDOTWestCentral Twitter: @INDOT_WCentral TrafficWise: 511in.org Mobile App: iTunes App Store and the Google Play store for Android About the Indiana Department of Transportation INDOT continues to solidify the Hoosier State as the Crossroads of America by implementing Gov. Eric J. Holcomb’s $30 billion Next Level Roads plan. With six district offices and 3,500 employees, the agency is responsible for constructing and maintaining more than 29,000 lane miles of highways, more than 5,700 bridges, and supporting 4,500 rail miles and 127 aviation facilities across the state. INDOT was recently ranked #1 in the United States for infrastructure in CNBC’s 2022 “America’s Top States for Business” ranking. Learn more about INDOT at in.gov/indot. Customer Service 1-855-463-6848 www.indot4u.com indot@indot.IN.gov Media Contact Megan DeLucenay 765-365-4347 mdelucenay@indot.in.gov