June 25, 2008

US 31 Hamilton County Public Hearings

The Indiana Department of Transportation will hold an open house and formal public hearings on June 26 at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. at Carmel High School, as an opportunity for the public to provide verbal, recorded input on the project. The informal Open House question/answer period will occur before, during and after the hearings. Please be aware that at the formal hearings, there will be no immediate response from INDOT, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) or from the project team. Instead, public comments will be addressed collectively and become part of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) document, which is reviewed by the FHWA when making the final Record of Decision (ROD) on the project. All comments and questions received at the hearing, or via mail or email from May 30 – July 25, 2008, will be included and addressed in the FEIS document, which is scheduled to be complete in October 2008. Your comments and questions will also be shared with INDOT and the design team for their review and consideration as the team works to complete the final details of the Selected Alternative. To receive individual answers to your questions through one-on-one discussion with project team members, please attend the US 31 Hamilton County Open House on Thursday, June 26, 1:30 – 9 p.m., at Carmel High School.

If you have questions regarding this public hearing, please contact Pankaj Desai at INDOT at pdesai@indot.in.gov or 317-232-5214.
 

Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement

The US 31 Hamilton County project team recently developed a Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS). This document updates the public and agencies on changes to the proposed design of the US 31 corridor since the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) was published.

After the DEIS was published in June 2003, the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) provided a 45-day comment period, during which route Alternative F4 was identified as the preferred alternative with a few modifications to the design. Preparation of the FEIS began in 2004 as planned, however statewide budgetary concerns put a hold on development of this project and many others.

With the State’s Major Moves initiative, the US 31 Hamilton County Improvement Project was revitalized in 2007. Significant growth in Hamilton County, coupled with the extended time lapse since the DEIS, required several assessments to be updated. The US 31 Hamilton County project team has been reassessing the corridor and talking with the residents and business owners about their current and future needs regarding the corridor. With the new assessments and public input, INDOT and the project team have developed the SDEIS, which outlines the differences that were made from the original document.

The most notable changes center around the type of interchange designs recommended at various locations, due to increases in traffic volumes, as well as changes to Carmel and Westfield thoroughfare plans. Other changes since the DEIS were the result of public and agency comments.

Key design changes include: the addition of over/underpasses at 111th Street, Old Meridian Northbound Slip Ramp, Greyhound Pass, Union Street and 169th Street; alternative interchange designs for 131st, 136th and 146th/151st streets’ interchanges; a small shift in the existing alignment of 136th and 191st streets; and changes in the mainline profile.

Following the public hearing on June 26, and end of the formal comment period (July 25), INDOT will compile and review all comments. The US 31 Hamilton County project team will begin working on the FEIS, which is currently scheduled to be complete this fall. Upon completion, Federal Highway will issue a Record of Decision, likely in late fall, allowing the project to move into the next phase.

The DEIS and SDEIS are available online at www.us31hamiltoncounty.in.gov.
 

Interchanges Along the Corridor

The most significant changes that occur when upgrading a US Route to a freeway is to the intersections along the corridor. All major intersections are reviewed in accordance with state and federal standards as to which type of interchange will replace the stoplight currently at the intersection. The criteria to determine the type of interchange that would be best includes: safety, level of service, construction costs, right-of-way impacts, and environmental impacts. Based on these criteria, the following types of interchanges are being most seriously considered for US 31 Hamilton County:

•  I-465 - The "thinner" design option (alt. 2 on the Web site) with direct connection ramps; may or may not include exit ramp to Pennsylvania Parkway
• 106th St. - Diamond (also reviewing a teardrop roundabout)
• 116th St. - Diamond (also reviewing a teardrop roundabout and a single-point urban interchange)
• 131st St. - Teardrop roundabout
• 136th St. - Roundabout
• 146th/151st St. – Split diamond with flanking service roads
• 161st St. – Diamond interchange (Roundabout can work if Westfield desires)
• SR 32 – Diamond interchange
• 191st St. – Diamond interchange
• SR 38 – Folded diamond

These recommendations are not finalized. Public input and comments on the proposed designs will be received and reviewed throughout the public comment period, from May 30 – July 25, 2008. Both during and after the official public comment period, INDOT welcomes public input regarding the corridor design, through the use of the Contact portion of the Web site, www.us31hamiltoncounty.in.gov or written comments mailed to Pankaj Desai, Indiana Department of Transportation, 100 North Senate Avenue, Rm N955, Indianapolis, IN 46204. 
 

Interchanges, Crossroads and Cul-de-sacs

Major east-west arterial roads have been identified and will cross The New US 31 Hamilton County corridor either by an underpass or overpass. Here is an overview of the interchanges, crossroads and cul-de-sacs that will change with the new alignment.

•  I-465 – Interchange
• 103rd – Cul-de-sac
• 106th – Interchange
• 111th – Crosses over US 31
• 116th - Interchange
• Old Meridian St. – Northbound Slip Ramp
• 126th – Crosses over US 31
• 131st – Interchange
• 136th – Interchange
• Monon Trail – Crosses under
• Circle Dr. – Access redirected to Clay Terrace
• Rangeline Rd. – Crosses under
• 146th – Split Interchange
• Greyhound Pass – Either right in/right out access or crosses over, final treatment dependent on ramp configuration
• 151st – Split Interchange
• S. Union / Westfield Blvd. – Cul-de-sac (under consideration for overpass)
• 156th – Cul-de-sac
• Buena Vista Dr. – no access, rerouted to Farr Hills Dr.
• 161st – Interchange
• 169th – Crosses under
• Park St. - Cul-de-sac
• SR 32 – Interchange
• 181st – Crosses over
• South Dr. or N. Glen Dr. – Closed – No Cul-de-sac
• Blackburn Ave. – Cul-de-sac
• N. Union – Removing pavement between US 31 and N. Union
• 191st – Interchange
• 196th – Cul-de-sac
• 202nd – Cul-de-sac
• 203rd – Cul-de-sac
• SR 38 – Interchange

Pedestrian and Bike Access along The New US 31 Corridor

Hamilton County is a leader in the state in terms of bike and pedestrian trails, and that will continue through the US 31 project. In 2006, INDOT and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) co-published Indiana’s first state trails, greenways and bikeways plan, which aims to place every Hoosier within 15 minutes of a trail by 2016. Following these guidelines, the design for The New US 31 Hamilton County will implement pedestrian/trail access and infrastructure along the corridor. In fact, some form of east-west pedestrian access will be included at all grade-separated crossings of US 31 Hamilton County.
 

The addition of pedestrian and multi-use paths provides residents with alternative modes of transportation, which is better for our environment, and promotes a healthier lifestyle.