The Plymouth Common Council was updated on the ProPEL US 30 West study during the last regular meeting. The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) started the Planning and Environmental Linkage (PEL) studies, known as the ProPEL U.S. 30 and ProPEL U.S. 31, to evaluate the transportation needs of the corridors which total 180 miles across 12 Indiana counties. Plymouth is impacted by both U.S. 30 and U.S. 31; including the major intersection.
Project Manager for CMD Smith Brett Lackey updated the Council that the project is in the Alternative Analysis Phase which is a three level screening of the US 30 West portion of the ProPEL study. The report from findings in Level 2 should be ready by late March.
The overall purpose of the study is to evaluate community needs, improve traffic operations and safety, identify local priorities on improvements needed, and develop reasonable improvement alternatives and strategy for moving them in to design and construction.
The ultimate purpose of transportation improvements along the US 30 West corridor is to improve regional mobility and safety along US 30 and US 31 and preserve both as vital statewide transportation corridors for moving people and goods.
The ProPEL Study portion of the process includes engagement with residents, motorists, businesses and others to examine the mobility, safety, economic development, land use, environmental impacts of the project and to incorporate that feedback to transition ideas in to concepts.
After the PEL study is complete, there will be an environmental review and preliminary engineering. Final design and Right of Way acquisition will precede construction. The timelines for each phase are estimated but unknown due to the complexity of the project and funding availability unknowns.
The four main needs being addressed are safety, access, mobility, and deficiencies. For safety the goal is to reduce crash frequency and severity with emphasis on right-angle and rear-end crashes at median openings and intersections within the corridor. For access the goal to reduce non-compliant access points within the corridor. For regional and statewide mobility the goal is to improve operations in order to provide safe, high quality mobility for long-distance passenger and freight trips through and beyond the study area. For roadway deficiencies the goal is to improve interchanges with substandard ramps and improve substandard median widths.
Eventually a final report will be submitted with recommendations identifying reasonable alternatives in the study corridor.
During Level One the team reviewed 55 improvement concepts and rated them based on need and practicality. They have reviewed primary concepts, complementary concepts and design elements.
For Level Two, the team will review the application of those potential concepts and elements to the following intersections that have been identified for impact thus far in the ProPEL study.
The US 30 Primary Intersections that have been identified are: US 30 x SR 331, US 30 x Fir Road, US 30 x King Road / W. 9A Road, US 30 x US 31, US 30 x Plymouth Goshen Trail, US 30 x Michigan Street, US 30 x Oak Drive, US 30 x Pioneer Drive, US 30 x Queen Road.
The US 31 Primary Intersections that have been identified are: US 31 x 9A Road, US 31 x Michigan Road, US 31 x 13th Road and Michigan Road, US 31 x SR 10, and US 31 x SR 110 / W. 800 North.
Marshall County Projects advancing independent of the PEL study are: US 31 at SR 10 – new interchange, US 31 from SR 110 to SR 10 – access control, US 31 at SR 110 – new interchanges, and US 31 at CR 700 N – new overpass. The anticipated timeline for the beginning of construction on those projects is 2027.
The ProPEL study started in the summer of 2022 with vision and scoping in the fall of 2022. Purpose and need was reviewed in the spring and summer of 2023. The alternative analysis phase is in session with a goal of completing the study this fall. A public information meeting is planned for Summer 2024.
For more information go to www.ProPEL30.com, follow on Twitter (X) @ ProPelUS30, on Facebook @ Propel U.S. 30 or Instagram @propelus30_31.
