A project to repave a portion of State Road 11 between U.S. 50 and Interstate 65 on the north side of Seymour will get underway this spring.
For $1.47 million, the Indiana Department of Transportation will repair and resurface a six-mile stretch of the highway as preventative maintenance to keep the road in good driving condition, according to an INDOT news release.
Dave O’Mara Contractor Inc. in North Vernon will begin construction after April 1. Some preliminary work, including surveying and staking, may occur earlier and could cause brief traffic interruptions, said Harry Maginity, INDOT media spokesperson.
He doesn’t expect those delays to be too much of an issue for motorists.
During construction, one lane will remain open at all times, and traffic will be directed around the work site by signage and temporary flaggers.
“Drivers will just need to be aware and drive slowly through the work zone,” Maginity said.
After full- and partial-depth pavement patching, crews will mill and repave the north-south roadway. All curb ramps along the route will be rebuilt or upgraded to meet compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, he added.
Maginity wasn’t sure when State Road 11 was last resurfaced, but typically, it’s done every 10 to 12 years, he said.
O’Mara has about five months to complete the work by Sept. 16. Much of the repaving work is weather dependent.
State Road 11 is a heavily trafficked roadway, with around 11,600 vehicles traveling it per day, Maginity said. The route is lined with both businesses and homes and also goes past Seymour-Redding Elementary School.
Maginity said much of the construction will take place after school lets out for the year at the end of May.
“But we’ll make sure they continue to have access,” he said. “The same goes for businesses and anyone who lives in the area.”
The resurfacing coincides with another INDOT project this spring to replace a bridge that takes U.S. 31 over Sand Creek near the Bartholomew-Jackson county line. That work will require a complete closure of U.S. 31 for eight months beginning in April.
The project also includes resurfacing 16 miles of U.S. 31, from Base Road near Columbus to just south of U.S. 50 near Seymour, Maginity said.
Updated information and a map of the closure are available on the Indiana Department of Transportation TrafficWise service at indot.carsprogram.org.
Roadway information also is available by calling 800-261-7623 or 511 from a mobile phone.
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