Caution tape is a common site in the construction zone along U.S. 36 in Fortville. Officials are urging drivers to proceed with caution, as many have been spotted driving in excess of 50 miles per hour, putting construction workers at risk.
FORTVILLE — Drivers are being urged to slow down in the construction zones along U.S. 36 in Fortville, where a large-scale road improvement project has been underway since late April.
“We’ve experienced a lot of people going 50 and 60 miles an hour in work zones, so we ask that people be mindful of the workers and the work that’s going on there,” said Grant Abbott, project manager for Milestone Contractors.
The Indianapolis-based company is tasked with completing the $8.3 million project, reconstructing U.S. 36 (Broadway Street) between Garden and Madison streets, removing and replacing Broadway’s existing surface while adding new curbs and gutters and upgrading drainage.
Construction has taken travel lanes in some sections from four lanes down to an 11-foot-wide lane in each direction, along with a 14-foot-wide center two-way turn lane.
The project has made it challenging to navigate through Fortville and access the downtown commercial district in recent weeks and won’t be done until next spring, but local officials assure guests and residents that the end result will be worth the wait.
Renee Oldham, a board member for the Northern Hancock Area Chamber of Commerce, distributed an update on the ongoing construction projects in a chamber newsletter earlier this week.
“We’re trying to give everybody a better sense of what’s happening and what the timeline is,” said Oldham, who said the improvement projects are necessary but no doubt a headache for drivers and business owners.
To help with the process, the chamber has sent surveys out to local business owners asking what store hours and special events will be taking place throughout the summer to help communicate that information with the public.
“We want people to support downtown business when they go through (construction closures) like that. You just need to tell them how to get there and who’s open when, so they don’t have to figure it all out on their own,” said Oldham, adding that the project will result in a much improved thoroughfare that will serve the community well for decades to come.
“It’s going to be beautiful when it’s done,” she said.
Abbott said the project is on track so far. Workers have recently finished up the sanitary sewer work and have started on stormwater enhancements on the south portion of Broadway.
“We hope to have eastbound traffic lanes on the southside down around mid-November, then we will switch to work on westbound traffic lanes next year,” he said.
Abbott said the target completion date for the entire project is slated for June 30, 2025.
While the road enhancements are being handled by Indiana Department of Transportation, some decorative touches are being added by the Town of Fortville thanks to Stellar Communities funding that was awarded in 2018. The enhancements include a paved multi-use path 10 to 13 feet wide on the north side of Broadway, with amenities like decorative lighting, benches, bike racks and trash receptacles. Ramps that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act will also be installed at street crossings.
A six-foot-wide concrete sidewalk will span along Broadway’s south side from just east of Garden Street to Elm Street.
Fortville’s town manager, Joe Renner, thinks town residents will be happy with the results once the construction chaos comes to an end.
“We’re looking forward to the finished product,” he said.
The same goes for Fritz Fentz, owner of Denver’s Garage Pizza & Brews at 110 E. Broadway St. in Fortville, where a gaping hole exists where the eastbound lane of traffic once flowed on U.S. 36.
Fentz knows it’s a hassle for customers to navigate the detours to get to this place, so he’s added live music on Thursday and Saturday nights as an added incentive. He also hosted a Jeep Night and Bike Night this summer.
“We’re trying to think outside the box to pull people in,” he said.
Fentz said the road improvements and the addition of a paved walking path, sidewalks, lighting and benches will be worth the wait.
The business owner thinks the enhancements will help help beautify and spur commercial growth along Broadway Street, while connecting the space to the shops and restaurants a block north in the historic downtown.
“I think it can help get Broadway Street back to the way it was in the 1960s,” he said, referring to the time when U.S. 36 served the main thoroughfare from Indianapolis to Detroit.
“It’s going to be so wonderful when it’s all done,” he said.
In the meantime, Fentz encourages the public to patronize local businesses that have been negatively impacted by the construction project, especially those along the south side of the road.
“It would be great if people could get out and continue supporting these businesses, despite the mess,” he said.
For ongoing construction updates, follow the Northern Hancock Chamber of Commerce on Facebook.
