County, Greendale Seeking INDOT Approval, Funding For SR 1 Project

Thursday, February 19, 2015 at 6:28 AM

Press release from Dearborn County Commissioners

The portion of State Road 1/Belleview Drive in Greendale which is the focus of the study. Photo provided. (Greendale, Ind.) - In 2014, through a partnership between the Greendale Redevelopment Commission and the Dearborn County Convention, Visitors and Tourism Bureau (with non-financial support from the Dearborn County Commissioners), American Structurepoint was hired to conduct a study of traffic and safety issues centering around the Route 1 bridge at Belleview Drive in Greendale. The study included the Route 1 Bridge at Oberting Road/Ridge Avenue, and the stretch of Belleview Drive between the bridge and the traffic signal in front of Ameristop and Walgreens at U.S. Highway 50. The study was necessary due to safety concerns and complaints about traffic congestion on St. Route 1, Oberting Rd., Ridge Ave., and Belleview Drive; especially southbound Route 1 crossing the bridge and approaching US Highway 50 on Belleview (in front of Walgreens) at the traffic signal. The study, which included a series of traffic counts and future projections, validated concerns about heavy traffic backups during normal commute times for Dearborn County citizens who leave and return daily for work in Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky. Statistics show that nearly 70% of Dearborn County residents leave the county each day to commute to their job; some of them using Route 1 and Belleview Drive as their primary route. With Perfect North Slopes being a key tourist attraction, the problem is amplified during ski season; though this was not a primary focus of the study --- rather a secondary benefit of the much needed congestion mitigation solution. VIEW THE INDOT PROJECT PRESENTATION HERE (PDF, 7 MB). The engineering firm prepared a report for INDOT’s consideration that included data about traffic congestion, trouble spots for crashes (in front of Walgreens & Ameristop on Bellevue Drive), simulations of current and future traffic patterns, and four possible construction alternatives that would remedy the problem. Ultimately, in consultation with local leaders, American Structurepoint recommended an alternative that yielded the best overall solution for the money. The report was presented to officials at INDOT’s Seymour, Indiana district office early in January 2015 for their consideration and possible programming into the 2020 list of INDOT projects. The proposed project price tag is $7.9 million and includes single-lane roundabouts at both ends of the existing St. Route 1/ Ridge Ave./ Belleview Drive bridge, and an additional through-lane on Belleview Drive at U.S. Highway 50 in front of Ameristop and Walgreens to alleviate the backup of vehicles waiting to go through the signal at US Highway 50. The proposed road construction project also addresses safety issues by realigning curb cuts on Belleview. Local officials were pleased that the project proposal was received favorably by the Seymour INDOT district office and are hopeful it comes out on top after the final screening process in mid-March 2015. Funding for the project would come from Federal Highway Administration funding and local matching dollars. The recommended alternative fixes multiple problems for a relatively reasonable cost when compared to other major roadway improvement projects that get funded annually. County Highway Engineer, Todd Listerman stated, “INDOT was impressed with the reasonable approach and efforts to do as much as possible for an economical --- yet sustainable --- project. Additionally, the potential to have another lane added to the roundabouts at a later date as the area grows was appealing.” Though the project, if selected by INDOT, will not be programmed for construction until 2020. However, Greendale and Dearborn County officials want to share the concept with interested citizens at an early stage. Thus, there will be three (3) informational meetings in the coming weeks outlining the” nuts and bolts” of the proposed road improvement for those who have an interest. Meeting dates, times and locations are:

Hidden Valley Lake – POA Board Meeting – Community Center HVL: Thursday, February 26, 2015 at 7 p.m.

Bright – North Dearborn Library – Dunevant Room : Monday, March 2, 2015 at 6 p.m.

Greendale – Greendale Cabin – Wednesday, March 18, 2015 at 7:00 p.m.

Citizens are welcome to attend any of the meetings as all are open to the public. Copies of the INDOT presentation on the project can be found at the following websites: City of Greendale (www.cityofgreendale.net) and Dearborn County Government (dearborncounty.org / go to Commissioners page and click on News Tab. QUESTIONS: Citizens may contact Greendale Redevelopment Commission Executive Director, Al Abdon at (812) 290-8900 or via email: aabdon@embarqmail.com, or the County Administrator, Terri Randall at (812) 532-2085 or via email to: trandall@dearborncounty.in.gov.