Could I-275/US 50 Gateway Improve Pride, Perceptions Of Southeast Indiana?

By Mike Perleberg A new pedestrian bridge over the Interstate 275 ramps at U.S. 50 in Greendale is part of a proposal to improve the interchange's appeal. Concept by Context Design. (Dearborn County, Ind.) – Southeast Indiana’s gateway – the Interstate 275 ramps at U.S. 50 in Greendale – should make a positive impression on the thousands of residents, visitors, potential employers, and others who pass through it each day. That’s what Dearborn County Administrator Terri Randall told a crowd of about 60 local government and business leaders during an invitation-only meeting in Lawrenceburg Wednesday. The current state of the ramp is a bit of a noisy eyesore with overgrowth scattered about the embankments and flanked by a garbage transfer station. Randall related the story of getting a phone call about the unsightly weeds growing on the ramp and asking her to call the Indiana Department of Transportation to request the weeds be removed. She had a revelation. "I went back and stewed about it for a little bit and then, frankly, got a little bit ticked off. I thought when we're ready to talk about pride in our community and not weeds, then we'll have the conversation. I'm not going to waste my call to INDOT on weeds that are going to grow back tomorrow," Randall shared. Since that phone call about two years ago, there have been quiet discussions on improving the aesthetic appeal of the stretch of I-275 in Dearborn County and the Greendale/Lawrenceburg/Aurora ramps from the interstate to U.S. 50. The Dearborn County Convention Visitors and Tourism Bureau has been leading on the proposed project. Terri Randall, Dearborn County Administrator. Photo by Mike Perleberg, Eagle Country 99.3. On Wednesday, the first visuals of what those upgrades could look like were unveiled. Randall said that the I-275 ramp improvements could let motorists know they’re in Indiana, create an immediate feel for the community, exhibit vibrancy and quality of place, enhance tourism, spur economic growth, and instill a sense of pride for southeast Indiana residents arriving home after a visit to neighboring Ohio or Kentucky. “This sets the tone, folks,” Randall said. “It’s not that we should be embarrassed of what we have there, but talk about an incredible opportunity for our state and our region.” With leaders in the audience from outside Dearborn County including Indiana Economic Development Corporation President Jim Schellinger and Batesville Mayor Mike Bettice, Randall said that the interstate enhancements would not just tell travelers “Welcome to Greendale” or Welcome to Dearborn County”. Rather, motorists would be welcomed to “Southeast Indiana”. Suggestions were illustrated in concepts created by Fortville, Indiana's Context Design. It include simple solutions such as better upkeep of the plant growth and a few gallons of black paint on metal road sign supports. Nice landscaping and new trees would be planted along the interstate and the entrance/exit ramps. Concept by Context Design. The bigger ideas include adding a pedestrian bridge over the entrance and exit ramps near U.S. 50. The people bridge could help connect the Dearborn Trail to a larger system of walking and biking trails in Ohio. Concept by Context Design. Perhaps the biggest eye-catcher of the project would be large adornments reminiscent of riverboat paddle wheels – again hinting at southeast Indiana’s sense of place along the Ohio River – extending skyward across the overpass carrying the entrance and exit ramps over I-275. The adornments would be affixed to existing bridge structure. Concept by Context Design. “It says we embrace our history, but we also are moving forward,” said Randall. A stone wall on sides of the bridge would read “Welcome to Southeast Indiana”. Randall said a price tag for the improvements is fairly modest at $12 million. So far, no funding has been approved by any entity for the project. “Let’s make it beautiful,” Randall concluded in her proposal. RELATED STORIES: Pickle Pouches Mean New Jobs For Dearborn County Take A New Road? Concepts Revealed At Second Bright 74 Study Open House Public, Private Leaders Seek Consultant To “Validate” Economic Development Efforts Letter: Dearborn Co. Commissioner Lynch Says “Our Stock Is Rising”