Road And Bike/Ped Infrastructure Improvements, Garage Projects Progress

(BLOOMINGTON) – Improvements to city streets and bicycle/pedestrian infrastructure, garages, and other public works proceed this summer, as current public health guidelines allow. 

Updates on several projects follow, starting with those nearing or having reached substantial completion:   

Adams Street Sidewalk and Intersection Improvements Project

A project improving safety for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists has added a protected bicycle lane on each side of South Adams Street from South Patterson Drive to West Kirkwood Avenue, a sidewalk along the east side, and lane changes at the intersection of Adams and Kirkwood.  Road construction for the project is scheduled for completion this Thursday, July 30, while replacement of the traffic signal equipment at the intersection is not expected until August 6, until which time the existing signal will be operational.  Drivers should continue to be attentive to lane changes and ongoing construction at and near the intersection.  More information about the project is available here.  

East Third Street Resurfacing/Reconfiguration Project    

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT)’s East Third Street resurfacing and reconfiguration project is substantially complete, and final pavement markings have been applied.  Improvements include patching, milling and paving, and curb ramp replacement along the 1.4-mile section of East Third Street between College Mall Road and State Road 446.  Additionally, the roadway was reconfigured between Clarizz and S.R. 446 to include a center turn lane, with one travel lane in each direction. Bike lanes were also incorporated on each side.  More information about the project is available through INDOT at in.gov/indot or 1-855-463-6848. 

Sidewalk Repair Assistance Program Phase 2

Phase 2 of the Sidewalk Repair Assistance Program got underway Monday, July 27 along North Madison Street between 14th and 17th Streets.  Homeowners in the area are urged to apply for funding to improve the sidewalk adjacent to their property while crews are nearby; and property owners in other neighborhoods are also welcome to apply for participation.  

Now in its second phase, the sidewalk partnership program is open to those who own and occupy single-family homes in federally designated Community Development Block Grant areas within the corporate limits of Bloomington, and are current on payment of property taxes and other debts to the City.  In addition, the sidewalk must have a “poor” rating on the pavement condition index, as verified by City staff. 

Prospective participants may enter their address into a portal at the project’s website to determine their eligibility.  The Sidewalk Repair Assistance Program removed and replaced more than 2500 linear feet of sidewalk in two neighborhoods during its first phase in 2019.  

Streets and Sidewalks

The 2020 paving and concrete/curb repair season continues this week with milling and paving along East Tenth Street, which remains closed from North Fee Lane to North Jordan Avenue, and has lane restrictions in place from North Forrest Avenue to North Fee Lane.  ADA ramps are being installed along South Hillside Drive, where lane restrictions are in place from South Highland Avenue to South High Street.  Road construction takes place daily from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Garages 

Trades District Garage

Progress on the Trades District Garage remains on schedule, with the second and half of the third levels having been poured Friday, July 24.  Early discussions have begun regarding leasing parameters for commercial tenants for the facility’s ground-floor spaces facing West Tenth Street and the B-Line Trail.  While currently closed between Morton and Rogers Streets to allow for repairs to the Monroe County Government Center’s HVAC system, West Tenth Street will periodically be closed for heavy equipment and construction deliveries for the garage through summer and into fall.  Given these obstructions, the City has installed a temporary entrance off Maker Way for the permit-required parking field north of Tenth & Rogers.  The Trades District Parking Garage will add 350 spaces to the inventory of parking spaces downtown upon completion in spring 2021.  

Fourth Street Garage 

The drilling of foundation piers for the Fourth Street Garage should conclude this week, with underslab plumbing to occur as the next sequence of construction.  The west lane of Walnut Street has been retaken for the duration of the construction and traffic safety signage and controls have been installed.  During the week of July 22, the Redevelopment Commission approved final bids for the remainder of work to complete the garage.  

Scheduled for completion in the summer of 2021, the garage will provide over 500 parking spaces of different varieties (accessible, compact, regular, and electric vehicle), as well as new City Parking Management Offices, a bicycle parking depot, and commercial space with an adjacent plaza walkway on the facility’s south side to intersect with the alleyway along its west side, which will also be activated as a pedestrian space. 

The Fourth Street Garage and the Trades District Garage will be the first two garages in Indiana designed and built to achieve Parksmart-certification, based on compliance with guidelines that reduce environmental impact, increase energy efficiency and performance, and manage parking spaces efficiently. 

More information about current City-led infrastructure projects is available here.  When encountering improvement projects, drivers are asked to travel slowly, cautiously, and distraction-free through the construction zone and be attentive to lane changes for their safety and that of the workers.