September 4, 2009

Construction begins on New and Miller roads

The contract to construct New and Miller roads has been awarded to Walsh Construction. Construction has begun and is scheduled to be complete in June 2010. 

Miller Road recently closed between US 31 and Miami Road for bridge construction.The detour utlitizes US 31, New Road and Miami Road.

Click here for up-to-date information about the road closures.

Kenilworth Road closed during bridge construction

Kenilworth Road between Lake Trail and Shively Road is scheduled to be closed through June 2010 to allow crews to construct a bridge enabling Kenilworth Road to pass over the new US 31.

Residents and businesses will have access to their properties on either side of the closure, but through traffic will be detoured.

Northbound Kenilworth Road traffic will be directed to take Shively Road east to Lake Trail north and back to Kenilworth. Southbound traffic will be directed to take Lake Trail east to Shively Road west and back to Kenilworth.

Want to know about other road closures?

There are several road closures for the New US 31 Plymouth to South Bend project. Information about all of those closures, including detour information, is always available on our Web site. Visit the "Construction/Closure Info" page for updated information.

New project visuals available online

Do you want to know what the New US 31 will look like once construction is complete? Click here to view various images and illustrations that provide a better understanding of the project. The before and after images, as seen at the April 2009 open houses, show what the New US 31 will look like at several major interchanges along the route. In addition, the animation illustrates how the new US 31/US 20 interchange will function. The photo above shows what SR 4 will look like once construction is complete.

Project DVD to help Marshall and St. Joseph fourth graders receive interactive history lesson

Many people who have lived in the South Bend area most of their lives can easily recall when US 20 was constructed. The reconstruction of US 31 will likely be the same way. And, thanks to several state and federal agencies, along with several other groups, Indiana fourth graders will receive an in-depth lesson on how environmental and historical concerns have shaped the New US 31 Plymouth to South Bend project. An educational DVD titled “Making Choices Along the Way” is near completion.

The DVD is part of a Memorandum of Agreement with the National Register of Historic Places. It outlines the general history of the Northwest Territory, including the settlement, early agriculture, and road construction in Indiana, as well as a discussion on tough decisions throughout history. The lesson initiates discussion on the choices people have made through different times and places and explains the debates that have occurred surrounding all important issues in Marshall and St. Joseph counties.

“Making Choices Along the Way” is a cooperative effort between the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), RW Armstrong and Ball State University, in consultation with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources-Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology, with funding provided by INDOT and FHWA. The DVD will be distributed to grade schools in Marshall and St. Joseph counties, as well as the Indiana Department of Natural Resources – Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology, the Indiana Historic Bureau, the Indiana State Archives and the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana. Approximately 100 copies of the educational material will be produced and distributed upon completion.

Speakers, information available for community organizations

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 public involvement director, Annette Cousert via e-mail at acousert@indot.IN.gov or by phone at 317.234.3534. While availability is somewhat limited; all efforts will be made to work with your schedule.