Construction crews from Milestone Contractors are expected to close a stretch of State Road 11 for 30 days starting Monday to perform drainage and pavement work.
At midnight Monday, workers are expected to close a quarter-mile stretch of State Road 11 between State Road 46 and Garden City until July 1 as they perform road work on State Road 11 for the railroad overpass project on the city’s west side.
The $35 million project, which is jointly funded by the Indiana Department of Transportation, city of Columbus, Bartholomew County, Cummins Inc. and the Louisville and Indiana and CSX railroads, will allow motorists to avoid being stopped by railroad traffic on at the intersection of State Road 46 and State Road 11.
During the closure, existing pavement on State Road 11 will be ripped out and replaced and new drainage structures will be added, INDOT officials said.
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Workers will also install new guardrail signage and pavement markings along State Road 46, which may be completed after the road is reopened.
Access to the veterinary office located within the closure will be from the south via State Road 11, INDOT officials said.
Initially, there had been some concerns that the road work could impact the Bartholomew County 4-H Fair, which was scheduled to start 10 days after State Road 11 is expected to be reopened.
The Bartholomew County Fair Board, however, decided last week to cancel the fair because they could not meet guidelines required to protect the public from COVID-19.
The cancellation of the fair will not alter the timeline of the road closure, said Nathan Gaskill, project manager at Milestone Contractors.
Crews will be working “long days” to finish the roadwork by July 1, he said.
The official INDOT detour around the road closure follows Interstate 65 between Exit 55 in Seymour and Exit 68 in Columbus, INDOT said in a statement.
The unofficial detour for individuals who normally would take State Road 11 to and from Columbus will be West County Road 200S to Terrace Lake Road to West Goeller Boulevard, according to an agreement dated Feb. 28 between the city of Columbus and INDOT.
INDOT and Milestone Contractors are urging motorists to use extra caution when traveling near the work zone.
Gaskill urged motorists to pay close attention to the new traffic patterns and other changes that will happen early Monday morning.
Bartholomew County Emergency Management urged motorists to be patient when on the detour route and to expect traffic congestion and delays.
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The Indiana Department of Transportation detour follows Interstate 65 between Exit 55 in Seymour and Exit 68 in Columbus.
The unofficial detour for motorists who normally would take State Road 11 to and from Columbus will be West County Road 200S to Terrace Lake Road to West Goeller Boulevard, according to an agreement dated Feb. 28 between the city of Columbus and INDOT.
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Inside: Change orders approved for overpass project — Page A3
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