$10M road construction project planned for Bloomington east side. What we know.
Tenth Street on Bloomington's east side is scheduled to get some major upgrades, including additional turn lanes and a sidewalk on the south side.
Indiana Department of Transportation officials will discuss the proposal — and give people an opportunity to provide input — in a public meeting Thursday.
Here's what we know so far.
Where is the 10th Street widening project?
The state agency wants to improve a 0.19-mile stretch on 10th Street (Ind. 45) between Ind. 46/Bloomington Bypass to the intersection with Pete Ellis Drive/Discovery Parkway.
What does the 10th Street widening plan include?
The project includes:
Widening 10th Street to include exclusive left and right turn lanes on all approaches to the Pete Ellis Drive/Discovery Parkway intersection and a dedicated through-lane in each direction.
Retaining the 8-foot wide multi-use path on the street’s north side.
Adding a 5-foot wide sidewalk on the south side.
Adding 5-foot bike lanes on both sides, separated from the road with a strip of paint.
Improving curbs and gutters including curb ramps at all four corners of the 10th Street and Pete Ellis/East Discovery Parkway intersection.
Creating an easier right turn off 10th Street onto East Discovery Parkway. The turn is currently awkward because of a pole that juts out and holds wiring for a street light.
Widening the pavement to 59 feet, including travel lanes, turn lanes, bike lanes, curbs and gutters. The current road width, including travel lanes and one turn lane, is 36 feet.
Why is 10th Street being widened?
Sidney Hoene, public relations director for INDOT Southeast, said the agency wants to reduce congestion in the area and at the same time improve safety for all traffic participants and mobility for pedestrians.
Bloomington City Engineer Andrew Cibor has said the road project is essentially a result of the new Indiana University Health Bloomington hospital. A traffic study had recommended, among other things, adding turn lanes on East 10th Street to improve traffic flow.
City officials and residents also have said the road was already too narrow before the hospital to handle traffic, which sometimes created dangerous situations between motorists and pedestrians and/or cyclists.
When INDOT initially proposed the project some local residents had concerns because the plans included a multi-use path on the north side of 10th Street — but not on the south.
Space on the south side is limited in part because of the Hinkle-Garton Farmstead, which is on the National Register of Historic Places for its distinct architectural style and historical significance. The farmstead covers 11 acres and includes two homes and four farm outbuildings. It hosts exhibits and classes and features a museum.
When will construction on the 10th Street widening project begin?
Hoene said the agency expects to obtain bids near August of next year. That’s about 1.5 years later than the agency initially expected. Hoene said she did not have information about the construction timeline.
This construction is separate from a project INDOT has planned for the intersection of 10th Street and Smith Road, where the agency also plans to add turn lanes.
How much will the widening of 10th Street cost?
The project will cost nearly $10 million, significantly more than the $4.6 million the agency estimated two years ago — though the scope of the project has increased, and the price tag of road construction projects, including local ones, has risen sharply in the last couple of years.
Hoene said the intersection work, including preliminary engineering, right-of-way acquisition and construction is projected to cost about $7.1 million, with the addition of lanes costing another $2.6 million.
The cost will be covered by state and federal dollars, though Hoene could not immediately provide a breakdown.
INDOT said the project will require about 4.2 acres of new permanent right-of-way and about 0.7 acres of temporary right-of-way.
What do people think about the 10th Street widening proposal?
Elizabeth Horwitz, who lives in the area, said she worries especially about pedestrian safety.
“This area is quite an older, established and thriving, growing rental intersection: older rental properties; two nearby senior populations; two massive brand-new upscale student populations close by, three major grocery stores or four if you include Target just blocks down the road, and through all these rental communities, there are the many people driving to work at IU Health’s hospital as employees or worried, justly preoccupied patients and family members of patients,” Horwitz said via email.
“We have to be able to cross safely. Sidewalks were never completed. Cross lights for us were not installed. Drivers are occupied with major traffic flow on those state roads, not the soft bodies of athletes that could hit," she said.
“This intersection is asking for trouble if the very best safety features are not prioritized," Horwitz said. "Pedestrian safety will not be completely addressed until 2025, the magic year all those sidewalks and signals are (scheduled) to be installed. In the meantime, while we wait and take our lives into our own hands as we cross appropriately on our feet along with cars at the lights, it’s almost inevitable that someone will be badly hurt or die.”
Katie Slavin, owner of Needmore Coffee Roasters, on North Pete Ellis Drive, said she expected the area infrastructure to be upgraded to handle the increased traffic when construction began on the new hospital.
"I'm surprised it has taken so long for this project to be considered," Slavin said via email.
Bloomington City Engineer Cibor said via email that he did not want to comment because he had not seen a detailed plan from INDOT in some time.
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Bloomington City Council member Ron Smith, in whose district the project will occur, said he is glad improvements are being made, but said “final details are a little unclear.
“I'm very happy about the added turn lanes off of Pete Ellis where the choke point on SR45 makes it dangerous and stops traffic,” he said via email. “Looking at the INDOT drawings, if the bike lanes are added and the road is not widened, I believe this to be a mistake as 45 is quite narrow especially at the crest of the hill. If the road is not widened I do not favor adding bike lanes along that stretch.”
Smith’s term as council member will end Dec. 31, and his likely successor, Hopi Stosberg, said she’s generally thankful that INDOT is updating the street.
“Creating safer pedestrian connections to services for residents in the multi-family housing north of 10th street is overdue and sorely needed,” she said via email.
“I've had numerous conversations with residents who express concern for pedestrians and cyclists along the (10th Street) corridor, including families with children attempting to access University Elementary School. This street redesign will improve safety and increase connectivity for a lot of residents,” Stosberg said.
Steve Wyatt, executive director of Bloomington Restorations Inc., to which the former homestead owner, Daisy Garton, donated the Hinkle-Garton property in 2004, said the plans appear to represent a "good compromise."
INDOT worked hard to push the project north to minimize the impact on the historic farmstead, he said. The agency kept the road fairly narrow in front of the historic buildings.
While the agency will use some of the farmstead property, it is using only those portions close to the intersection, which already had been disturbed in prior construction projects, Wyatt said. It looks as though even the maple trees that line the property's front won't be affected by the construction.
"We're happy with what the state came up with," Wyatt said.
How can you provide input on the 10th Street widening project?
You can attend a meeting from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at North Central Church of Christ, 212 N. Dunn St., where you can provide verbal and written comments.
Until Nov. 3, you also can submit comments to Crawford, Murphy & Tilly Inc., ATTN: Cassie Reiter, 8790 Purdue Road, Indianapolis, IN 46268; creiter@cmtengr.com; 855-463-6848 or indot4u.com.
Hoene said the comments will be taken into consideration, though there’s no guarantee of any suggestions being implemented.
You can get more information on the project at tinyurl.com/5csxu85p.
Boris Ladwig can be reached at bladwig@heraldt.com.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: $10M road construction project planned in Monroe County. What we know.
