TWELVE MILE —
Since April, workers have been clearing trees, relocating utilities and installing drainage pipes for the Ind. 16 widening project east of Twelve Mile.
Jim Pinkerton, a spokesperson for the Indiana Department of Transportation, said after about three months of work the $3.2 million project is progressing on schedule to be reopened to traffic by the end of November.
“Most of the work right now has involved clearing right of way and installing pipes across the existing roadway for drainage purposes,” Pinkerton said.
The highway remains closed to through traffic from the east side of Twelve Mile to U.S. 31 as Milford contractor Phend & Brown addresses the problems residents have complained about for years.
Work on the long-awaited project includes widening lanes, flattening hills and installing new sidewalks and curbs in Twelve Mile.
In many places, the lanes on the 4.68-mile segment of Ind. 16 were too narrow to fit passing semis side by side. That created a safety hazard considering the agricultural industry’s frequent use of the large trucks in the area.
Other concerns included narrow shoulders, deteriorating pavement and the utility poles, steep banks and trees close to the road.
Plans call for trees to be removed and many of the overhead power lines to be buried. A hill on Ind. 16 near 900 East will be reduced to improve visibility at the intersection. Dips in the road will be smoothed out, and shredded-tire fill will be used to slow settling over swampy areas. The entire section from Twelve Mile to U.S. 31 will receive a new surface on the lanes that are expected to have an average width of 13 feet.
Some residents have voiced concerns over the taking of large, old trees along the highway. Pinkerton explained how INDOT helps ease the frustration felt by people living next to the project.
“We understand that it's upsetting whenever people lose a portion of their property and especially trees,” he said. “We try to contact affected homeowners before any work like that is completed so they know what to expect. Unfortunately, not all trees can be saved when you're widening a road.”
As for lawns torn up during construction, Pinkerton said those will be fixed and re-seeded as part of the project.
At the request of race fans, project officials agreed to keep the highway open near Plank Hill Park beyond the Fourth of July for the Twelve Mile 500 lawnmower race that draws hundreds of people.
Pinkerton said work on the Twelve Mile section will begin soon after the holiday.
Highway Superintendent Jeff Smith said the county has no direct involvement in the Ind. 16 project, but county roads in the area have seen increased traffic since the highway closed.
The official detour route is U.S. 31 to Ind. 25 in Rochester, but motorists have found shorter routes.
Smith reported that the road seeing the most detour traffic is 550 North, which is a hard-surface road that runs parallel to Ind. 16 just south of Twelve Mile and gives a straight shot to U.S. 31.
County Road 800 North is receiving some additional traffic. Smith said they have sent a dust control crew out there to treat the gravel road.
Smith said he has not seen major problems such as crumbling arising from the extra traffic. He has also received few complaints about additional traffic.
For those experiencing inconveniences, Smith hoped they would be able to tolerate the short-term inconveniences of construction for the sake of a safer highway.
• Kevin Lilly is news editor of the Pharos-Tribune. He can be reached at 574-732-5117 or kevin.lilly@pharostribune.com.
Local News
Related Photos
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ROAD WORK: A backhoe fills a drainage area with large rocks along Ind. 16. The work is part of the widening project currently under way east of Twelve Mile. The Indiana Department of Transportation reports that the work is on schedule to be completed by the end of November. P-T photo I Kevin Lilly
Discussion
Under construction
Project to widen Ind. 16 from Twelve Mile to U.S. 31 on schedule
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