Harrison Street Improvements on the way for Plymouth; intersection closure coming soon

Work on a major street improvement project along Harrison Street is set to get underway in the coming weeks, with Plymouth City Engineer Dan Sellers telling the Board of Public Works and Safety that the first phase of the project will begin shortly.

The first order of business will be the relocation of a NIPSCO gas line at the intersection of Harrison Street and Fifth Street. Sellers explained that the work is necessary to accommodate drainage improvements planned at that intersection as part of the broader Harrison Street Project.

NIPSCO Gas will close the intersection of Fifth and Harrison Streets during the relocation work. Sellers said the closure should be brief — approximately three days, provided things go smoothly — after which the intersection will reopen. Minor drainage improvements are also planned along the south side of Harrison Street from Freedom Park to Plum Street, but the Fifth and Harrison intersection is the only location where the gas line needs to be moved.

The Harrison Street Project spans from Oak Drive to Michigan Street. It includes major sidewalk enhancements along the south side of Harrison Street from Oak Drive to Plum Street, as well as pavement improvements running from Oak Drive all the way to Michigan Street.

Sellers told GIANT fm WTCA that the Harrison Street work is one of several street repaving projects planned across Plymouth this season. The city received a Community Crossings Matching Grant of just over $717,000 to help fund the projects, and the Harrison Street Project bid came in at just under $1.1 million.

A pre-construction meeting with prime contractor E&B Paving is scheduled for June 25th. Sellers said that the meeting should bring more clarity to the project timeline.

"I should have more details after that meeting, but tentatively, the main bulk of work will likely start after August 1st," Sellers told GIANT fm WTCA. "Work on Harrison Street may start after the Blueberry Festival, depending on their availability, which should come into better focus as the summer construction season progresses."

Residents and drivers in the Harrison Street corridor should expect to see activity begin at the Fifth and Harrison intersection within the next couple of weeks, with the larger construction effort to follow later in the summer.