Warsaw Board of Public Works and Safety approved a contract for professional engineering services during its meeting Friday.
The agreement is to develop recommendations for improvements to Dubois Drive between Provident Drive and Parker Street.
The board approved the $3,900 contract between the city and A & Z Engineering Inc. for engineering services.
The company will provide multiple feasible solutions with figures and opinions of estimated costs.
A & Z also will meet with Warsaw officials to present and discuss the various recommendations.City officials said neighboring property owners have expressed concerns related to some traffic measures that were installed as part of the recent conversion of Dubois Drive to a one-way drive.
The roadway's traffic elements are causing driver confusion, which could pose a potential safety hazard in addition to inconvenience, city officials said.
There are three areas along the road that have revised traffic operating conditions.
The three locations are at the intersection of Dubois Drive and Parker Street, Dubois Drive along the west bound business frontage, and at the intersection of Dubois and Provident drives.
It is A & Z's intentions to develop potential solutions and engineering recommendations for improvements to the roadway.
Parker Street reopened to local traffic in August. Drivers can now access Kosciusko Community Hospital off Dubois Drive. Dubois Drive is one way from U.S. 30 to Provident Drive.
Greg Winn, The Pill Box operations manager, attended Friday's meeting and expressed his concerns with the construction work.
Dubois Drive is the width of three lanes. Winn requested there be a left-turn lane, straight lane and a right-turn lane down Dubois Drive.
"If Dubois Drive is going to be one way that is fine, but right now my concern is that half of the street is being taken up with yellow striping saying no parking and driving and yellow barriers are up the length of Dubois Drive and preventing the public from using half of the street," Winn said.
Drivers are unable to use one lane on Dubois Drive due to barriers that were installed to keep people from going the wrong way. The hindrance is that people are having trouble making a left turn into The Pill Box and The Spectacle Shoppe, Winn said.
He requested the yellow concrete barriers be removed on Dubois Drive so drivers can turn left.
Winn also suggested there be a one-way street developed behind The Pill Box so vehicles can access Parker Street.
"It would essentially create a round-about concept around the Pill Box, Spectacle Shoppe and the BP gas station and be a one way opposite of the one-way going down Dubois Drive," Winn said.
Warsaw Mayor Ernie Wiggins said the city will discuss the issue with A & Z Engineering.
In other business, the board approved temporarily closing Canal Street in Warsaw from the entrance of the parking area on the west end of the park to the entrance of the east parking lot.
The closure will be from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. for the Sept. 11 Play It Safe Family Safety Day for the placement of the Warsaw-Wayne Township Fire Territory and an REMC bucket truck.
The board also:
- Approved Warsaw Parks Department accepting a $3,030 grant from the Indiana Arts Commission for Friday Evening Performing Arts Series and Celebracion Latina.
- Approved new hire salaries for Gabriel Balazs to serve as a replacement janitor at Warsaw Police Department; Tyler Thomas to serve as a replacement groundskeeper at Oakwood Cemetery and Ronald Nethaway to serve as a replacement patrol officer at WPD.
