Road work rally: Grant paves way for more construction

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GREENFIELD — If you think there are more construction cones dotting Hancock County roads this summer, you’re right.

Crews have more than doubled the number of road work projects this year thanks to two state-funding measures aimed at improving the state’s poor road conditions. This week, $2.5 million in grant funding was awarded to Hancock County street and highway departments for local street improvement projects — that’s on top of a $5.5 million windfall from the state distributed earlier this year to Hancock County cities and towns for road work.

In Greenfield, the street department is planning to repave nearly 13.5 miles of city streets — a boost from the 4 miles planned before city officials learned they received roughly $982,000 from the Indiana Department of Transportation’s new Community Crossings grant.

Portions of major thoroughfares, including McKenzie Road and Franklin Street, along with streets in neighborhoods across the city, are slated to be resurfaced before July 2017.

The Hancock County Highway Department, which received $1 million from the INDOT grant, will improve approximately 153 miles of county road before November, more than double the usual 70 miles, said highway engineer Gary Pool. About a third of the county’s projects — 50 miles’ worth — will focus on repaving.

Annually, the county can typically fund about 20 miles of repaving, Pool said.

County roads being repaved include roads in neighborhoods located outside of city and town boundaries, Binford Road and sections of County Road 500N. Sections of county roads 300W, 700N and Troy Road are also included.

Additionally, another 100 miles of road will be addressed with crack- and chip-sealing and seal-coating.

The money budgeted each year by local officials for road work doesn’t go far, officials say. With the extra state money received this year, local street and highway departments will be able to put a big dent in addressing roads that sorely need repaired, they say.

Greenfield, for example, budgets enough money to repave just 1 mile of road in a typical year, said street commissioner Tyler Rankins. Depending on the road’s condition, it costs about $125,000 to $175,000 to resurface that mile, he said.

At that price, it would take the city years to repave 13.5 miles of road, and thanks to the grant, Greenfield will be able to complete the work by the start of next summer, he said.

The roads selected for repaving are either in fair or poor condition and need to be repaired before they become worse, Rankins said.

City-wide, about 17 miles of the city’s 105 miles of street are ranked as fair condition or worse, said city engineer Karla Vincent.

Overall, Hancock County’s streets are in OK condition, Pool said, but he’d like all roads to be in fair condition or better.

Revved-up road work this year should help him reach that goal, he said.

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About $2.5 million is being poured into local road work thanks to the Indiana Department of Transportation’s Community Crossings grant.

Here’s a breakdown of the money coming to local cities and towns:

Hancock County – $1 million

Greenfield – Roughly $980,000

McCordsville – Roughly $248,000

Fortville – Roughly $254,000

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Greenfield will repave approximately 13 miles of road between now and mid June 2017:

» Windswept road south of East County Road 100N

» A portion of Pippin Drive

» A portion of Steel Ford Road near State Road 9

» A portion of Morristown Pike near East Davis Road

» Center Street

» Lullaby Boulevard

» Bear Story Boulevard

» Leonainie Court

» Lullaby Court

» Dream March Drive

» Longfellow Lane

» Bowman Drive from Davis Road to Bruner Drive

» Wilson Street from Main Street to North Street

» Douglas Street from Wood Street, heading west

» A portion of Park Avenue east of State Road 9

» A portion of Park Avenue west of State Road 9 near Maple Drive

» A portion of Maple Drive

» Date Street

» A portion of Third Street

» A portion of Apple Street between U.S. 40 and First Street

» A portion of East 100N between Indigo Drive and Springside Court

» Dorothy Drive

» A portion of Melody Lane

» Fairview Drive

» A portion of Michigan Street

» Illinois Street

» Ohio Street

» Ellis Drive

» Downing Court

» Franklin Street from McKenzie Road to 7th Street

» Graham Court

»Arthur Court

» Springhurst Boulevard

» White Blossom Lane

» Gateway Lane

» Pond View Drive

» Miller Court

» West Sixth Street from Monroe Street to Franklin Street

» Monroe Street from U.S. 40 to Fourth Street

» Indian Street

» Noble Street from West Fifth Street to Walnut Street

» Broadway Street from U.S. 40 to West South Street

» West South Street

» Center Street from U.S. 40 to West Osage Street

» South West Street

» Grove Street

» West Pierson Street

» Brook Street

» Howard Street from U.S. 40 to North Street

» A portion of Baldwin Street

» A portion of Pratt Street

» North Spring Street from Lincoln Street to North Street

» A portion of First Street from Berry Street to Cherry Street

» Cherry Street from Second Street to Third Street and Fourth to Fifth streets

» A portion of McKenzie Road between Meridian Road and Broadway Street

» A portion of East McClarnon Drive between State Road 9 and Melody Lane

» A portion of Independence Road

» A portion of Harding Avenue

» Dewey Avenue

» Stutsman Drive

» Thompson Road

» A portion of West South Street between Franklin Street and North Hendricks Street

» Hough Street

» West Mill Street

» West Pierson Street from Riley Avenue to State Road 9

» East Pierson Street from State Road 9 to Meek Street

» South Street from American Legion Place to Meek Street

» Wood Street from North Street, heading south

» Vine Street from U.S. 40 South to South Street

» South Street from Pratt Street, heading east

» Pratt Street from Douglas Street to Park Avenue

» Wood Street north of Park Avenue

» Swope Street from Douglas Street to Park Avenue

» Walker Street from North East Street to North Spring Street

» Redbud Lane

» Sycamore Lane

» Chestnut Lane[sc name=”pullout-text-end” ]

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The Hancock County Highway Department will repave about 70 miles of county roads this year, including:

» County Road 300W from county roads 100N to 200N and from county roads 300N to 400N

» County Road 100W between Interstate 70 and County Road 300N

» County Road 200S from County Road 100E to Greenfield city limits

» Portions of Cranberry Drive

» West Kathlene Court

» Portia Drive

» Portalan Drive

» West Timber Road

» West Creekside Road

» South Village Drive

» South Fielding Road

» South Berlander Drive

» South Theodore Lane

» Welker Drive

» Walnut Court

» Portions of Wayne Drive

» Alexandria Drive

» Anita Lane

» County Road 500N between State Road 9 and County Road 300E and county roads 400E and 600E

» County Road 250E from county roads 600N and 700N and State Road 234 to Eden Road

» Troy Road from County Road 700N to State Road 234

» County Road 700N from county roads 400E to 500E

» County Road 400E from county roads 300N to 400N

» County Road 450E from county roads 300N to 400N

» County Road 250S from county roads 600E and 700E

» Binford Road

» County Road 500S from 800E to 900E

» County Road 275E from county roads 300S to 300E[sc name=”pullout-text-end” ]