Major street construction projects set to wrap up soon

Road construction has plagued Bloomington for several months now – for more than a year near Walnut Street and First Street – causing traffic jams and leading drivers to take alternate routes.

“Funding is fine and the budget is fine,” said Bob Chestnut, street superintendent for the City of Bloomington.

The reason some projects take a long time to complete is because most are not just standard resurfacing. A lot of underground work occurs, he said.

Many students have expressed irritation and concern with the projects. The roads are torn apart and left unpaved for weeks, said recent graduate John Brumbaugh. He feels unsafe when riding his motorcycle over the bumps and holes, he said.

Brumbaugh also described an intersection near Second Street and Walnut Street where two lanes suddenly become three. It is very confusing and dangerous, he said.

The $3.5 million project on Walnut Street began in July of last year and should be finished by mid-September, which is actually one month earlier than anticipated, said Bill Williams, Monroe County highway director and engineer.

“In the grand scheme of things, 20,000 vehicles go through there a day,” Williams said. 

Another area in town that has been under construction is 17th Street.

Rebuilding began in the middle of July and was planned to be done before school started. The date has been moved to Sept. 10, said Adrian Reid, City of Bloomington engineer.

Weather and other factors can cause delays. Because of the construction of the IU football stadium, IU was forced to relocate a steam pipe that was causing utility problems. The project is complex. 17th Street was crooked through the intersection so the east leg had to be moved south to realign it with Fee Lane, he said.

“These kinds of projects are not always easy to schedule,” Reid said.

Bloomington residents can expect construction to begin on East First Street this week, and in the coming months Rose Avenue, Dexter Street and Anita Street will also have work done, Chestnut said.