New Access Road Will Connect South Ripley Schools To State Road 129

The project could get started as early as November 1.

(Versailles, Ind.) – A project a year or two in the making is close to getting underway at South Ripley Community Schools.

Superintendent Rob Moorhead tells Eagle Country 99.3 that an access road will be built on 20-acres of land behind the track connected the campus to State Road 129.

The new road will provide a second point of access to South Ripley Schools. Currently, the only way to access the junior/high school and elementary school is Benham Road.

Moorhead adds that the new access road will help reduce congestion during morning drop off and afternoon pickup, and during large events such as graduation or athletic sectionals.

“Having this access road on the backside of the property we think will really relive traffic congestion and make things safer,” said Moorhead. “That’s really the driving force, is the safety element. The less we can have our bus traffic interacting with our regular traffic, the better off it is for everyone.”

South Ripley Schools is working with Kovert Hawkins Architecture to design the road. Dave O’Mara Contractors will complete the construction.

Moorhead says work could start as early as November 1 with a project completion date scheduled for July 2022.

The project will be funded through the Operation Fund and money left over from Guaranteed Energy Saving Project at the elementary school.

“We’ve been saving,” added Moorhead. “Over the last two years, we’ve been accumulating money for this project. There will be no additional tax burden whatsoever to our families as a result of this. This has all been budgeted for and we have the money on hand to complete the project.”