Staff Reports
Construction of a west-end roundabout on the U.S. 50 bypass for North Vernon is expected to begin in early April.
The $1.9 million intersection project, at the U.S. 50/Walnut Street-County Road 400W interchange, located 2 miles west of the city, will replace the existing stop-control configuration with a single-lane roundabout measuring 166 feet in diameter, according to an Indiana Department of Transportation news release.
Plans call for splitter islands to be installed on rebuilt road approaches. The roundabout’s 16-foot-wide single lane will encircle a center hub designed to accommodate semi-trailers on a 14-foot truck apron. Lighting is included in the project, INDOT said.
U.S. 50 roundabout construction will require closures at the Walnut Street and County Road 400W approaches to the intersection.
Milestone Constructors of Columbus is the state’s contractor for the project. A preliminary timeline calls for the roundabout to be built in four phases:
Phase 1: Construct east half, shift traffic to westbound side of U.S. 50, close Walnut Street and County Road 400W.
Phase 2: Construct west half, shift traffic to center of roadway, Walnut Street and County Road 400W remain closed.
Phase 3: Build splitter islands and the center island, normalize U.S. 50 traffic pattern, Walnut Street and County Road 400W remain closed.
Phase 4: Build western curb entrance to the roundabout, normal traffic pattern on U.S. 50 continues, Walnut Street and County Road 400W reopen to motorists.
The U.S. 50 bypass has a traffic count of 8,355 vehicles per day, INDOT said.
