December 14, 2007

Project Team Almost Ready to Make Offers to Purchase Property

From now through the end of the month, residents from just north of US 6 to just south of Pierce Road will likely see crews placing stakes in the area. These crews are identifying the right of way lines for the first contracts of the project. These contracts, which include major earth excavation and grading, begin just north of CSX railroad and continue to Pierce Road.

By the spring of 2008, land owners between US 6 and Pierce Road may be receiving offers to purchase the needed right of way for this first contract.

Under the Surface: Crews Investigating the Soil for Construction

As many residents in Marshall and St. Joseph counties know, the soil in the area is great for plants, but challenging for construction work. The geotechnical engineers are submitting formal recommendations for four major areas within the first grading contract.

The majority of the crews you may have seen in the area are part of this geotechnical team. They’ve used heavy equipment to take borings of the soil for testing. Ensuring the soil is stable enough support the roadway is one of the first major tasks undertaken by the geotechnical team. Their work will continue until the entire corridor has been tested.

Over or Under? Deciding on Bridge Structure a Major Task

Freeways allow for the free flow of traffic, interrupted only by cars merging at designated interchange points. One of the most commonly asked questions at the August open house was, “Will my road go under or over the freeway?” The project team has been assessing each intersecting roadway to determine just that.

A lot goes into determining how a local road crosses a freeway. Engineers must study the vertical grades, the quality and stability of the soil, the right of way lines, the existing natural landscape and the cost estimates.

By March 2008, when Stage 1 design plans have been approved by INDOT and the project team returns to the area for another public meeting, residents will know for sure how or if their favorite local roads will cross the freeway. But, as of November 2007, the following are the recommendations for the over and underpasses:
 
Roads or structures expected to cross over US 31:
•    Plymouth-Goshen Trail
•    7th Road
•    Lilac Road
•    West 4A Road
•    Tyler Road
•    Kenilworth Road
•    Lake Trail
•    New Road
•    Miller Road
•    Johnson Road
•    Jackson Road
•    US 20

Roads or structures expected to cross under US 31:
•    West 3A Road
•    US 6
•    CSX Railroad
•    East 1st Road
•    State Road 4/Pierce Road
•    Existing US 31
•    Roosevelt Road
•    Kern Road
•    Main Street

All other roads that cross the new US 31 alignment will end at the new freeway as cul-de-sacs in accordance with the FEIS and ROD. No decisions were made about local roads without first consulting with local emergency responders, including police, fire and emergency medical departments, as well as school transportation officials, during the environmental study process. The team will continue working with these agencies during construction.

Community Advisory Committee Underway

The project team is currently developing the Community Advisory Committee (CAC), which is comprised of local residents and community leaders. The first meeting of that group, which serves in an advisory capacity for the team, is in December. Meeting summaries will be posted on the Web site by the end of the year.

Speakers Available for Community Meetings

If your small group or organization would like a brief presentation or Q&A session about the US 31 Plymouth to South Bend project, please contact the project facilitator, Rickie Clark, at rclark@indot.in.gov or 317.232.6601. While availability is somewhat limited, all efforts will be made to work around your schedule.

We’d Like to Hear From You

The project team is committed to keeping the residents and business owners in Marshall and St. Joseph counties informed about this project. If there are subjects you’d like to hear more about, please contact the outreach team through Rickie Clark at rclark@indot.in.gov or 317.232.6601 or Erin Pipkin at erin.pipkin@borshoff.biz or 317.631.6400.

Moving forward, the outreach team will be updating the Frequently Asked Questions section of the Web site with questions from residents.

If you have additional questions or comments regarding this newsletter or the Web site, please click here.

General Design Update

The New US 31 Plymouth to South Bend project team has been studying, designing and developing Stage 1 plans for the project during the past eight months. At this point, the project team is working toward Stage 1 plan development, which includes:

As part of the ongoing coordination for the project, the project team traveled to the area on Oct. 23 to coordinate logistics with local emergency responders and utilities.