|
One Civic Square Carmel, IN 46032
Contact: Nancy Heck
E-Mail: nheck@carmel.in.gov
Phone: (317) 571-2494
Nancy Heck
The
Department of Community Relations
Back to Carmel City - Carmel, Indiana - Media Releases
web page
City of Carmel
One Civic Square Carmel, IN 46032
News Release
Date:
September 6, 2007
Contact:
Nancy Heck
(317) 571-2494
Release:
Immediate
Governor Daniels
announces agreement to transfer ownership of Keystone Avenue
Carmel, Ind.– Governor Mitch Daniels
and Carmel Mayor James Brainard today announced an agreement
in principle for the City of Carmel to assume ownership of
Keystone Avenue (State Road 431) from 96th Street to U.S.
31.
“Hamilton County will get a major transportation improvement
sooner and the state’s taxpayers save money in the long
run,” Daniels said. “Mayor Brainard has again shown the
imagination that is making his a great new Hoosier city.”
The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) pegged the
long-term costs of upgrading Keystone Avenue at more than
$150 million. Tentative terms of the agreement call for
INDOT to provide Carmel with $90 million, in installments,
to reconstruct and redesign the road. Carmel’s plan
addresses long-term mainline traffic issues and
significantly improves east-west mobility at a much lower
cost. The agreement will not affect the funding for any of
the state’s Major Moves projects.
Carmel will pursue a federal earmark for the balance of the
project. Once the agreement is final, the city will be
responsible, in perpetuity, for maintenance, snow-removal
and mowing.
The city’s construction plan calls for lowering Keystone
Avenue at major intersections and building elevated
roundabouts. When completed, Keystone Avenue will be free
flowing without any signals within the city. Drivers on
east-west cross-streets, such as 116th Street, will use the
roundabouts instead of having to stop for signals.
“This innovative design will link our community in new
ways,” Brainard said. “Having Keystone run below cross
street roundabout intersections, used for ingress and egress
to Keystone, will improve the safety of this roadway
exponentially. This design is also more pedestrian friendly
and drivers will no longer wait in long lines for stoplights
to turn green.”
City officials plan to break ground on the project in early
2008. Local officials will work with residents, businesses
and churches to minimize construction disruptions by using
innovative construction solutions. The Keystone Avenue
project will be complete before the state’s $500 million
upgrade to U.S. 31 in Hamilton County begins in 2011. Carmel
has invested nearly $35 million in local funds to upgrade
Pennsylvania and Illinois streets to prepare for the U.S. 31
improvements.
“We have been talking with the state for more than a decade
about Keystone and we are at this point today only because
of Governor Daniels’ leadership,” Brainard added. “This is a
great example of state and local government cooperation for
the benefit of everyone.”
INDOT works with communities to relinquish highways when
they become more of a local thoroughfare than an intrastate
route. For example, in Indianapolis, the agency worked out
agreements over several years for the city to assume
ownership of all state routes and U.S. highways inside I-465
– such as Meridian and Washington streets.
http://www.keystonecarmel.com/
- end -
To learn
all about PDF files click here ->
|
