Greencastle Mayor voices displeasure with INDOT on US 231 project

Tuesday, December 10, 2024 at 8:35 AM

By Paul Gable

For Greencastle Mayor Lynda Dunbar, the construction project of U.S. 231 has been a major thorn in her side.

The construction project has dominated Dunbar's first year of her first term and has featured one issue after another.

Despite all that, the project is close to being opened to motorists, but not soon enough for Dunbar, who told City Council last month that according to INDOT, the work would be done in November but that has since been pushed back to sometime this month.

"They've got three days worth of curbing to do and a couple days to bring about 800 tons of asphalt in to finish the project as far as being able to open the road," Dunbar told GIANT fm WREB and The Putnam County Post.

The project includes new sanitary sewers, water lines and storm sewers under U.S. 231. However, Dunbar said the thing she cannot understand is the amount of time the project has taken and a feeling that INDOT has not wanted to get it done in a timely fashion.

"The most frustrating thing to me is the lack of them wanting to get it done. I would think they'd want it done as bad as we would want it done. I think they are desperate to get it done. INDOT has said you have to get it done and now this cold weather has set in, which we didn't expect. We had 70 degree days a week or so ago and they had plenty of time to get out. I am surprised with the inefficiency at how INDOT projects go," Dunbar said.

In addition to the aforementioned upgrades, downtown Greencastle has also gotten several new sidewalks.However, with the sidewalks have come major issues, as they are uneven in many places, creating tripping hazards for citizens.

"I have had conversation after conversation after conversation with folks at INDOT, even higher up than the folks at our Crawfordsville district. It is very concerning that you come into a community, and you put in sidewalks that become major tripping hazards. We have ADA rules we have to follow, and I feel like they overlook and because it is INDOT they get to get away with it. I have been very blunt with them in my disappointment. I expect something to be done. We will see. I've talked to our State Senator, State Representative and they know I am not happy so we will see how it goes," Dunbar said.