HANCOCK COUNTY — Construction work along Interstate 70, which began in the spring, is creating more dangerous travel conditions locally, officials said.
Construction and accidents continue to plague traffic on I-70 both eastbound and westbound, meaning traffic in Greenfield has been heavier than normal on State and Main Streets as traffic seeks detours.
Brian Hartman, deputy chief of the Greenfield Police Department, noted that with traffic being down to one in lane in many areas because of construction, conditions are ideal for accidents.
“People are going to need to be vigilant and pay attention to their surroundings and what is going on with stopped traffic,” Hartman said.
Last week was a particularly dangerous one as the county saw five major accidents in a span of about 36 hours on I-70. While no deaths were reported, some of the accidents resulted in serious injuries, sending multiple people to hospitals. Other areas were not so fortunate: In Wayne County on Thursday, July 9, two children and two teenagers were killed when a semi-trailer truck plowed into their car on I-70. The driver of the semi has been charged.
In at least three of the Hancock County cases, Hartman said, callers indicated people were not paying attention, maybe driving too fast to control their vehicles when they came up on stopped traffic.
Plus, the accidents are creating backups on the interstate, sending drivers, including those of semis who are often in a hurry, onto local roads.
“A lot of people don’t want to sit in traffic so they get off the interstate and start coming through town and that creates more problems,” Hartman said.
Hartman also wanted to remind drivers, the new hands-free law is now in effect and drivers cannot have their cell phones in their hands when behind the wheel.
Some people appear not to have gotten that message.
“We’re still seeing people holding their phones in their hands talking, and that’s really dangerous in stop-and-go traffic,” Hartman said. “On the interstate that can create a train wreck, one right after another.”
Hartman said officers are not being told to give people a grace period to get used to the new restrictions.
“Our officers are going to start being very active on this,” Hartman said.
The Indiana Department of Transportation plans to close major sections of I-70 in the metro area, including in Hancock County, throughout most of the summer and into the fall.
The construction is part of the Next Level Roads program, which will invest $60 billion in highway construction and maintenance in Indiana over 20 years.
