Western Route Proposal Presented
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
More than 120 people packed the Justice Building meeting room Thursday to hear The Troyer Group's preference for the Western Alternative Route.
On June 29, The Troyer Group will make their recommendation to the Kosciusko County commissioners.
The route The Troyer Group will propose, according to project manager Steve Benczik, begins at the intersection of Ind. 15 and CR 300S. It then follows the northeast side of the overhead electric transmission line northwest to approximately CR 100S. The proposed route then heads north parallel to CR 350W, crosses U.S. 30 at the abandoned rest stop and then briefly runs along CR 300W. It turns east along CR 400N and reconnects to Ind. 15.
The estimated cost for that portion of the Western Alternative Route is $28 million.
Benczik said The Troyer Group will recommend to the commissioners that the route then proceed north from the intersection of CR 400N and Ind. 15 along the abandoned interurban railroad lines on the east side of Ind. 15. Just south of the town of Milford, the route then could turn west and line up with CR 200W, possibly connecting with CR 17 in Elkhart County.
The corridor study for this project began three years ago, Kosciusko County Commissioner Ron Truex, middle district, told the crowd. After three years, The Troyer Group "came up with an option" that will be presented to the commissioners June 29. He said they wanted people to have 90 days to continue to provide comments and questions.
"We'll review it all before any decision is made on this," he said.
Benczik said the public has had many chances to comment on this project. Thursday's meeting was the fourth and final public meeting on the study of the route. A planning committee and 20-member advisory committee discussed the study throughout.
The project's purpose is to increase the level of service, improve safety and provide economic development opportunities, efficient movement of traffic and better regional travel by potentially linking the route with Elkhart and Cass counties to the north as well as Fulton, Wabash and Miami counties to the south at some point.
Jay Grossman, also with The Troyer Group, discussed alternatives one through six of the project. To determine the best route, he said, they looked at: consistency with local planning, safety benefits, traffic capacity benefits, economic development benefits, environmental impacts, right of way relocations and impacts and cost.
The recommendation The Troyer Group will make is shorter than the others, likely will cost less and less relocation of properties is needed. It also provides a good link with the western side of Warsaw.
As for the curves, Benczik said, "All curves will be curves you can take at 55 miles per hour."
The first question asked during the question-and-answer period was how much limited access there would be to the alternative route to Ind. 15.
Benczik said there would be no access to the route except for at-grade intersections with county roads. There will not be any driveways coming onto it.
Once fully developed, he said, it likely will be a four-lane facility with a median barrier.
Due to safety concerns, CR 350W and Fox Farm Road could be closed off.
At the intersections of county roads and the western alternative route, there likely will be traffic signals.
Asked about a timetable, Benczik said, "This is a long-term project. This isn't going to happen overnight." No start date has been proposed.
Bob Sanders asked about costs if the project were to begin today. Benczik said with a project such as this, there are many costs involved - materials, purchasing of property and labor, for example. The project could be built in phases, but just for the portion of the project from Ind. 15S back to Ind. 15N, the cost is estimated at $28 million to $29 million. The county already has $3 million in federal funding for the project.
Several people asked why can't the project just include alternative No. 1 and then see if that is all that needs to be done. No. 1 includes a slight jog of connecting Buffalo Street to Detroit Street in downtown Warsaw.
Benczik said while that may help downtown Warsaw some, it will not address the traffic concerns on CR 350W and the rest of the west side of Warsaw.
Another person asked how wide each of the lanes will need to be. Each lane, Benczik said, will need to be at least 11 feet, but 14 feet is preferred.
Kosciusko County commissioners are Avis Gunter, southern district; Ron Truex, middle district; and Brad Jackson, northern district. Kosciusko County Highway Superintendent and Engineer is Rob Ladson.
For more information about the Western Alternative Route project or the corridor study, visit online at www.kcgov.com [[In-content Ad]]
More than 120 people packed the Justice Building meeting room Thursday to hear The Troyer Group's preference for the Western Alternative Route.
On June 29, The Troyer Group will make their recommendation to the Kosciusko County commissioners.
The route The Troyer Group will propose, according to project manager Steve Benczik, begins at the intersection of Ind. 15 and CR 300S. It then follows the northeast side of the overhead electric transmission line northwest to approximately CR 100S. The proposed route then heads north parallel to CR 350W, crosses U.S. 30 at the abandoned rest stop and then briefly runs along CR 300W. It turns east along CR 400N and reconnects to Ind. 15.
The estimated cost for that portion of the Western Alternative Route is $28 million.
Benczik said The Troyer Group will recommend to the commissioners that the route then proceed north from the intersection of CR 400N and Ind. 15 along the abandoned interurban railroad lines on the east side of Ind. 15. Just south of the town of Milford, the route then could turn west and line up with CR 200W, possibly connecting with CR 17 in Elkhart County.
The corridor study for this project began three years ago, Kosciusko County Commissioner Ron Truex, middle district, told the crowd. After three years, The Troyer Group "came up with an option" that will be presented to the commissioners June 29. He said they wanted people to have 90 days to continue to provide comments and questions.
"We'll review it all before any decision is made on this," he said.
Benczik said the public has had many chances to comment on this project. Thursday's meeting was the fourth and final public meeting on the study of the route. A planning committee and 20-member advisory committee discussed the study throughout.
The project's purpose is to increase the level of service, improve safety and provide economic development opportunities, efficient movement of traffic and better regional travel by potentially linking the route with Elkhart and Cass counties to the north as well as Fulton, Wabash and Miami counties to the south at some point.
Jay Grossman, also with The Troyer Group, discussed alternatives one through six of the project. To determine the best route, he said, they looked at: consistency with local planning, safety benefits, traffic capacity benefits, economic development benefits, environmental impacts, right of way relocations and impacts and cost.
The recommendation The Troyer Group will make is shorter than the others, likely will cost less and less relocation of properties is needed. It also provides a good link with the western side of Warsaw.
As for the curves, Benczik said, "All curves will be curves you can take at 55 miles per hour."
The first question asked during the question-and-answer period was how much limited access there would be to the alternative route to Ind. 15.
Benczik said there would be no access to the route except for at-grade intersections with county roads. There will not be any driveways coming onto it.
Once fully developed, he said, it likely will be a four-lane facility with a median barrier.
Due to safety concerns, CR 350W and Fox Farm Road could be closed off.
At the intersections of county roads and the western alternative route, there likely will be traffic signals.
Asked about a timetable, Benczik said, "This is a long-term project. This isn't going to happen overnight." No start date has been proposed.
Bob Sanders asked about costs if the project were to begin today. Benczik said with a project such as this, there are many costs involved - materials, purchasing of property and labor, for example. The project could be built in phases, but just for the portion of the project from Ind. 15S back to Ind. 15N, the cost is estimated at $28 million to $29 million. The county already has $3 million in federal funding for the project.
Several people asked why can't the project just include alternative No. 1 and then see if that is all that needs to be done. No. 1 includes a slight jog of connecting Buffalo Street to Detroit Street in downtown Warsaw.
Benczik said while that may help downtown Warsaw some, it will not address the traffic concerns on CR 350W and the rest of the west side of Warsaw.
Another person asked how wide each of the lanes will need to be. Each lane, Benczik said, will need to be at least 11 feet, but 14 feet is preferred.
Kosciusko County commissioners are Avis Gunter, southern district; Ron Truex, middle district; and Brad Jackson, northern district. Kosciusko County Highway Superintendent and Engineer is Rob Ladson.
For more information about the Western Alternative Route project or the corridor study, visit online at www.kcgov.com [[In-content Ad]]