HANCOCK COUNTY — The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) announced in a press release Friday, Sept. 29 that the plans for U.S. 40 between Cumberland and Greenfield have been modified. The project includes an 8.5 mile stretch of U.S. 40 from Buck Creek Bridge in Cumberland to Greenflield’s Monroe Street to help preserve the corridor’s service life and reduce crashes.
INDOT hosted a comment period in November 2022 with a public information meeting and in June 2023 for a public hearing. Concerns for right-sizing configurations were raised, including its potential impacts on traffic flow and large vehicles. Other public comments were made about not believing the Pennsy Trail realignment was necessary, according to the press release.
Based on the public feedback and from further traffic data analysis, INDOT has updated its design, prioritizing safety concerns and extending the corridor’s lifecycle. Project updates will include:
The Pennsy Trail will not receive work under this project and will continue to exist along its current alignment.
- U.S. 40 will receive a right-sizing configuration of one travel lane in each direction from immediately east of Buck Creek bridge to CR 600 W. This shifts the focus of right sizing to within the Cumberland area only.
- Outside of Cumberland, CR 600 W. to Prairie Meadows Boulevard, U.S. 40 will maintain its current two travel lanes and shoulders in each direction, and receive an HMA overlay.
- U.S. 40 from Prairie Meadows Boulevard to Windswept Road will include a two-way center turn lane to improve left turn safety for the Prairie Meadows Apartment Complex.
The original project design included a right-sizing configuration from CR 700 W. through Windswept Road. In the press release, INDOT said that in partnership with Hancock County, the previous decision repurposed pavement from the right-sizing configuration to reroute the Pennsy Trail along U.S. 40 between C.R. 200 W and C.R. 200 W.
INDOT explained in their press release that by right-sizing, it repositions pavement markings to allow for a center two-way left-turn lane to help reduce crashes, create more consistent speeds and provide wider shoulders for larger vehicles. It also adjusts the number of travel lanes to match the needs of traffic in the area.
