GREENFIELD — A schedule has been announced for planned closures to accommodate construction on State Road 9 in Greenfield. The closures will begin as early as March 8, depending on weather, and are set to continue into the summer.
City engineer Jason Koch announced the schedule for the road closures in an email. The construction will affect the portion of State Road 9 between Davis Road and U.S. 40/Main Street. So-called “soft closures” will be located at Davis Road and Main Street, meaning cars will be able to get around the barricades to access homes and businesses. Wherever the contractor is working during a particular day, “hard closures” will mean traffic will not be able to get through.
Local traffic will be able to use a detour route from Franklin Street to Davis Road to U.S. 40, similar to the detour route used when the highway is closed in downtown Greenfield during the Riley Festival. For large truck traffic, an official detour route from the Indiana Department of Transportation will be posted from U.S. 52 to Interstate 465 to U.S. 40. Large trucks will bypass Greenfield during the construction period.
“Greenfield’s public safety and emergency services are working closely with INDOT’s contractor to make sure delay to emergency situations is minimized,” Koch said in the email.
Greenfield street commissioner Tyler Rankins said drivers can expect some disruption to traffic, although the city will be working with INDOT to post signage clarifying detour routes.
“It’s going to take some getting used to, especially what they’re doing with closing sections at a time,” he said.
Rankins added that his department will be taking “before and after” pictures of local roads that will be used by construction vehicles, and INDOT will be paying for any damages.
The changes are intended to improve traffic safety on one of Greenfield’s busiest roads. The main addition will be a median in the center of a portion that will limit left turns; instead of turning directly into stores and restaurants, drivers will have to turn left at stop lights and navigate side streets or make U-turns at lights.
Other improvements will include base repairs; city-funded stormwater improvements; improvements to accessibility of curbs, sidewalks, and ramps; and complete resurfacing.
Other portions of State Road 9 are scheduled to close for construction later this year. From June through August, the work will shift north, from Main Street to McKenzie Road.
When that work is complete, INDOT’s contractor will begin work on the access control medians to be located between McKenzie Road and Interstate 70. This will remove the center two-way left turn lane and replace it with a six-inch raised median, meaning access to State Road 9 will be right-in, right-out except at traffic signals. This construction will require the lanes closest to the median to be closed, so State Road 9 will be restricted to one northbound and one southbound lane during that portion of construction.
Final work on the road is scheduled to be complete by mid-September.
“Thank you for your patience and understanding as this important infrastructure project moves forward,” Koch said, addressing residents whose patience will be tried as they navigate the construction zones. “I know it will be inconvenient this year, but I think you can agree that this improvement by INDOT is way overdue; It will be worth the smooth ride in the end.”