Public gives input on construction plan

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - The public gave its input on construction plans for U.S. Highway 52 during a hearing Thursday night.

The $38 million project would begin near Beech Street and stretch almost two and a half miles past State Road 25.

"If it is something we hear from a lot of different people, that might alter the design," Indiana Department of Transportation's (INDOT) Debbie Calder said.

Suggestions from the community will be taken into consideration before final plans are drawn.

U.S. 52 has had the same pavement for over 40 years. More then 33,000 cars use U.S. 52 daily and 716 crashes have occurred, including 138 injuries in the past three years.

The Indiana Department of Transportation said poor drainage and the age of the pavement has caused the road to deteriorate.

What will improving the road likely entail?

"Improving the drainage along the corridor, improving the intersections, lengthening left turn lanes so traffic will flow easier through this area," Calder explained.

Some suggestions at Thursday's meeting included putting sidewalks on both sides of U.S. 52. The plans have just one sidewalk on one side of the roadway. People also asked for pedestrian crosswalks.

"I'm sure you have more and more people walking, who don't have the ability to have a car and get where they need to go, so it is probably very necessary," Sharon Pritchard, who owns property on U.S. 52, said.

Carl Covely suggested extending turn lanes even more than the plans propose. He said it will help the flow of traffic.

"Lanes that are really too short to handle the amount of traffic that has started using the turn lanes. So you get locked out of the turn lane. You can't get to it. Then you end up blocking other people that want to go straight through because you are holding up the line, trying to get to the turn lane," Covely said.

Also in the plans are two left turn lanes at State Road 26, McCarty Street and State Road 25 intersections.

The two year project is slated to begin in 2012.

You can still submit suggestions to the INDOT until May 27. Email Mary Jackman Wright at mwright@indot.in.gov or you can mail your comments to INDOT's Hearings Office, 100 North Senate Avenue, Indianapolis, N642, Indiana 46204-2217.