(MONROE CO.) – Work is scheduled to begin later this month on a $1.9 million asphalt resurface project on State Road 46 (also 3rd Street) in Bloomington. A 1.41-mile section of State Road 46 will be resurfaced between College Mall Road and State Road 446.
Crews are expected to begin with hand hole relocation the last week of March, followed by curb ramp replacement work in mid-April. Patching, milling and paving work is planned to start in June.
Curb work and striping are planned during daytime hours. Temporary lane closures will occur when curb work is in progress. The majority of resurfacing work is scheduled to take place at night, from approximately 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. Nighttime lane closures will be in effect during patching, milling and paving operations, with flaggers on-site to manage traffic.
Following paving, the roadway will be reconfigured between Clarizz Blvd. and State Road 446 to include a center two-way left-turn lane, with one travel lane in each direction. Bike lanes will also be incorporated on each side. This change follows a pattern of crashes involving motorists turning left in and out of the many homes and businesses located along this stretch of road and will improve corridor safety by giving drivers a dedicated area to safely wait to turn. A traffic safety audit was completed along this stretch of State Road 46 by INDOT in 2018 and was followed by an additional study completed by a private consulting firm to evaluate traffic flow.
Motorists may also notice a temporary change in signal timing at intersections along this section of State Road 46 after signal loops are removed during milling. The signals will remain on a timer until the loops are replaced near the end of the project.
All motorists should slow down, use extra caution and drive distraction-free through all work zones. The project was awarded to E&B Paving Inc. in December 2019 and is expected to be complete in August 2020. All work is weather dependent.
