Greencastle ready to tackle Albin Pond Road woes

Dunbar said she and Greencastle's city engineer have been holding discussions about Albin Pond Road.

As a child, Greencastle Mayor Lynda Dunbar knew better than to take her bicycle down Albin Pond Road she said. 

"When I was a kid riding my bike all over Greencastle, my parents wouldn't let me ride on Albin Pond Road. If I got caught doing it, I wasn't going to have a bicycle anymore," Dunbar told the Greencastle City Council during its recent meeting.

Having known then the issues facing the road in northeastern Greencastle, Dunbar is ready to finally make some inroads on improvements for Albin Pond Road, admitting she knows it is a "big mess right now."

"It's time to take a serious look at Albin Pond Road," Dunbar said. 

Dunbar said she and Greencastle's city engineer have been holding discussions about Albin Pond Road and are quite familiar with all the issues. 

"The guardrails are slanted, the road needs widened and sidewalks. We have decided now is the time to take a look at it. The first fix will take place in spring or summer with new asphalt," Dunbar said. 

The first year mayor said there are both short term and long term improvements that are being investigated. 

According to Dunbar, a short term fix could take 15 months and features a six month construction period. The short term fix would include surveying, pavement and land acquisition. 

Long-term fixes, which would include redoing the entire road, as well as addressing stormwater issues, would take up to 27 months and includes eight months of construction. 

"We also have stormwater issues out there that need fixed," Dunbar said of the road.

Dunbar said the city could see if any upgrades on Albin Pond Road could be an INDOT project. 

"We have a short term solution. We will probably go out for bid because it will be a huge project. We want to make the road better and do an eight year project. It could be eligible for federal funds and we will see if it can be an INDOT project," Dunbar said. 

There was discussion about safety on the road once upgrades are made, as Dunbar and Greencastle Police Chief Chris Jones both said there have been issues where residents have treated the road as a speedway once any upgrades are made. 

"The problem with the road is it is a straight shot and people do go fast on it anytime there has been some work done on it. We have pulled people over going 70 mph on it before," Jones told The Putnam County Post. 

Dunbar agreed.

"Speeding is always an issue when the road is fixed," Dunbar said. 

In addition to planning upgrades for Albin Pond Road, Dunbar said the city is currently working on a street master plan. 

"We know a lot of streets have problems and we are trying to fix as many as we can, as cheaply as we can," said Dunbar, adding the city will start going after Community Crossings grants to help take care of road projects.