LAFAYETTE, IN — City officials have approved a $3 million contract to remove bumpy railroad tracks on busy South Street near the post office in a project that will reroute traffic for a time but result in a more pedestrian-friendly area.
In a special meeting Thursday, the city’s redevelopment commission unanimously approved the deal with Milestone Contractors for $3,183,899.
City engineer Jeromy Grenard said the project’s intermediate completion dates “are pretty tight.”
By Aug. 13, before students return to Purdue’s campus, any closures should reopen, although some lanes be restricted, he said. The end date is set for April 30, 2027, to give the contractor time to finalize landscaping and such details as new traffic lights and a pedestrian crossing.
The planned detour route is Creasy Lane to Union Street to Sagamore Parkway.
Extending other pedestrian crossings along South Street is the goal, and city officials are pursuing more federal “Safe Streets” funding to add more heading east. “This will kind of set the stage for what people will see when you continue to I-65,” Grenard told the commission.
Other city crossings will be improved, too
Meanwhile, city officials announced Friday that Norfolk Southern will begin “long-anticipated maintenance” to “enhance ride quality and overall safety for motorists” for three other crossings.
Three high-priority crossings in Lafayette are scheduled for repair and will require temporary road closures:
9th Street near Armstrong Park: closed May 19 to 23
Concord Road between Daugherty Drive and Olympia Drive: closed May 27 to 30
South 18th Street between Brady Lane and Normandy Drive: closed June 2 to 4
Norfolk Southern will also be completing repairs at County Road 900 South in Dayton and Wyandotte Street in Mulberry, helping improve regional transportation routes beyond the Lafayette city limits.
Mayor Tony Roswarski expressed appreciation for the progress, stating in the news release, “These crossings have been a consistent concern for drivers, and we’re pleased to see Norfolk Southern taking meaningful steps to address them. City officials have elevated these concerns for several years, and it’s encouraging to see that feedback reflected in upcoming repairs.”
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: South Street railroad site work OK’d; other Lafayette sites see upgrades
Reporting by Virginia Black, Lafayette Journal & Courier / Lafayette Journal & Courier
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