CDM Smith Consultant Project Manager Brett Lackey for the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) ProPEL U.S. 30 West Pel Study gave a brief update to the council about the project’s status.
“As a quick refresher, the U.S. 30 West Study specifically begins at S.R. 49 in Valparaiso and extends east along U.S. 30 Beech Road in Marshall County. It also includes a stretch of U.S. 31 beginning at the U.S. 30 interchange and extending south to C.R. 700,” he said.
He went on to say that the Pel Study process is likely different than what most folks are used to with past INDOT projects. The study teams have been engaging with project stakeholders early on before the project scopes were known.
“Public feedback is vital to the success of this study,” he said. “It will help inform potential solutions that will guide the next 20 plus years of transportation investments.”
He told the council that the group didn’t anticipate the Pel Studies identifying or recommending a single build alternative. Instead, the studies would, they expect, result in a reasonable set of build alternatives that would then move forward as part of INDOT’s regular call for projects.
The draft of the Level 2 alternative screening report has been closed for public comments.
The study is currently in the second phase of the alternatives development screening process which is called Level 2. The draft Level 2 screening report was released at the end of March and was available for public comment until April 30.
“So right now what we’re doing is working to address the comments that were received and finalize that Level 2 report taken from draft to final. But I do want to make it very clear that we’ll accept comments on that report basically till the end of the study,” he said.
He said that given the size and the complexity of the study area, the Pel studies are going to have three levels of screening potential improvements. At the end of each screening step there will be a smaller number of potential solutions. The level of detail will increase with each step.
They looked at 29 primary intersections in Level 2. Primary intersections are locations where U.S. 30 and U.S. 31 intersect with a roadway that’s designated as a major collector or higher. Of those, 14 are located in Marshall County and two are located in Argos. Those two locations are S.R. 10 and S.R. 110.
“Looking ahead to Level 3 which is what we’re getting rolling on right now, Level 3 will then develop and analyze improvement packages for smaller areas or segments. Level 3 will basically break the corridor up into smaller planning segments generally organized around the towns along the corridor. And then in Level 3 we will look at everything that hasn’t already been looked at,” he said.
He addressed a common concern the team has received in the past. “Folks wanted to know why certain intersections haven’t been looked at in Level 2 which is an understandable concern. Everything will be looked at in Level 3. Because it’s a tiered process, in Level 2 we just really needed to start somewhere and focus on the most primary intersections. And again in Level 3, everything else will be looked at.
Council Member Shawn Harley asked if the ProPEL representative could relay a message to the team that’s looking at making the intersection at U.S. 31 and S.R. 10 safer that he’d like to have an update from that team.
“Our residents are getting injured out there every day and have been for quite some time. And this has gone on for far too long,” Harley said.
Another update should be presented in August.
Comments can be made and more information can be found by going to www.propelus30.com.
