INDOT adjusts plans for U.S. 40 based on public input

Tuesday, October 3, 2023 at 12:28 PM

indot-adjusts-plans-for-u-s-40-based-on-public-input

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) has modified its plans for U.S. 40 between Cumberland and Greenfield.

The project includes an 8.5 mile stretch of U.S. 40 from Buck Creek Bridge in Cumberland to Greenfield’s Monroe Street to preserve the corridor’s service life and reduce crashes.

During the formal comment period, INDOT hosted both a November 2022 public information meeting and a June 2023 public hearing. Some community members and elected officials expressed concern with the right-sizing configuration, including its potential impacts on traffic flow and large vehicles. Other public comments did not believe the Pennsy Trail realignment was necessary.

INDOT has updated its design based on public feedback and further traffic data analysis while still prioritizing safety concerns and extending the corridor’s lifecycle. The project updates include the following:

The Pennsy Trail will not receive work under this project and will continue to exist along its current alignment. S. 40 will receive a right-sizing configuration of one travel lane in each direction from immediately east of Buck Creek bridge to C.R. 600 West. This shifts the focus of right sizing to within the Cumberland area only. Outside of Cumberland, C.R. 600 West to Prairie Meadows Blvd., U.S. 40 will maintain its current two travel lanes and shoulders in each direction, and receive an HMA overlay. S. 40 from Prairie Meadows Blvd. to Windswept Road will include a two-way center turn lane to improve left turn safety for the Prairie Meadows Apartment Complex.

The original project design included a right-sizing configuration from C.R. 700 West through Windswept Road. In partnership with Hancock County, the previous design repurposed pavement from the right-sizing configuration to reroute the Pennsy Trail along U.S. 40 between C.R. 200 West and C.R. 300 West.

Right-sizing repositions pavement markings to allow for a center two-way-left-turn-lane to reduce crashes, create more consistent speeds, and provide wider shoulders for larger vehicles. It adjusts the number of travel lanes on a route to match the needs of traffic in the area

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