A major repaving project planned on State Road 46 from the State Road 11 intersection near downtown Columbus to County Road 350W will be done during evening hours.
Columbus Board of Works members on Tuesday approved allowing Milestone, the state’s contractor for the $1.8 million resurfacing project, to do the work between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. on weekdays, which normally would be prohibited by city code noise ordinances.
The city has approved similar requests from INDOT contractors to do work at night, said Dave Hayward, city executive director of public works/city engineer.
There are no residences directly on State Road 46 and Jonathan Moore Pike where the resurfacing is being done — only hotel rooms where people might be staying, he said.
The main noise from the work will be the loud back-up alarms that INDOT trucks sound when in reverse, and the tailgates that bang open and closed during repaving, he said.
Milestone’s tentative timeline for the project has the work beginning in early April and continuing through the end of August, said Harry Maginity, INDOT spokesman.
In addition to full-depth concrete patches, Milestone will be altering the existing median curb and then resurfacing the pavement, he said. Milestone assistant project manager Casey Loweth said in a letter to the city that the project also includes curb and sidewalk improvements in addition to ramp work on to Interstate 65.
Motorists may encounter short-term lane restrictions on State Road 46 and Jonathan Moore Pike and at least one overnight I-65 ramp closure while the work is being completed, Maginity said.
