County awarded federal funds for Scatterfield corridor study

Ken de la Bastide, The Herald Bulletin, Anderson, Ind.
·2 min read

Mar. 20—ANDERSON — Madison County has been awarded $368,000 in federal funds for a planning project the length of Scatterfield Road.

The Anderson funding award was the only one in the state through the Reconnecting Communities Pilot and Neighborhood Access and Equity program.

The funding is being provided to the Madison County Council of Governments in partnership with the city of Anderson and the Indiana Department of Transportation.

The study will seek public input through the internet and in-person meetings.

Ryan Phelps, principal transportation planner for COG, said the project will cover the 7.5 mile length of Scatterfield Road from Interstate-69 to the junction with Ind. 9.

"The study will be looking at design solutions for the corridor," Phelps said. "We will be looking at the road from both an operational and safety prospective."

He said the study will include bicycle and pedestrian needs to include sidewalks, trails and crosswalks.

"It will include multi-modal transportation systems," Phelps said.

A concern is the speed of motorists on Scatterfield Road because of the distance between traffic signals, particularly north of University Boulevard.

Jerry Bridges, executive director of COG, said the study will also look at green spaces in an effort to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases.

"Studies have shown that people walk more in shaded areas," Bridges said. "We're looking at plans that can be implemented long term."

Phelps said the study should be completed within one year.

"Once the planning is completed, we hope to get a grant for construction," he said.

Bridges said the study will include bury the drainage ditches along both sides of Scatterfield Road, burying the utility lines and improving lighting from 38th Street to the interstate.

"There have been a number of pedestrian fatalities," he said. "There is a problem with visibility."

Phelps said it will include the construction of medians between the travel lanes north of Mounds Road.

Traffic volume on Scatterfield Road used to be the busiest for a two-lane road in Indiana, he said, because of the traffic from the General Motors plants.

"Scatterfield Road has the highest traffic volume in the county, except for the interstate," Phelps said.

It's possible the study will recommend the removal of some traffic signals to be replaced by roundabouts.

"This is a good time to look at a design for Scatterfield," Bridges said. "It's a corridor that has been talked about for 20 years. We're happy we got the city of Anderson and INDOT as partners. We want to improve access along the corridor."

Follow Ken de la Bastide on Twitter @KendelaBastide, or call 765-640-4863.