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October 6, 2009

Waterline Road opens access to River Ridge, Utica

By BRADEN LAMMERS The News and Tribune Tue Oct 06, 2009, 10:41 PM EDT

After nearly a year-and-a-half of planning and headaches, Utica residents have more than one way in and one way out of town: Waterline Road.

The approximately $100,000 project took the cooperation, through an interlocal agreement, of five local governmental entities including the Clark County Commissioners, city of Jeffersonville, city of Charlestown, the town of Utica and the Indiana Port Commission.

A number of government officials and members of board of directors for the River Ridge Development Authority cut a ceremonial chain Tuesday to officially open the road running through the former Indiana Army Ammunition Plant.

“It’s just one more step to open the property up,” said Commissioner Ed Meyer.

The opening up of the property will allow greater access from Utica to Ind. 62 for residents around the area, shortening the travel route and allowing additional access for emergency services.

“Really, to drive past this and never be able to access it when you know you could get through in eight minutes instead of 20 minutes around,” said Mark Robinson, board president of the River Ridge Development Authority, referring to Utica residents.

Convenience was not the sole purpose for opening the route formerly gated off in secrecy.

Previous instances — like January’s ice storm — had prompted River Ridge to temporarily open the road to emergency personnel so they could gain access to the people on the north end of the road, said Jerry Acy, executive director of the River Ridge Development Authority.

“It’s a safety issue, too,” he said.

According to Robinson getting the project completed was nothing but inconvenient.

“Until late last fall it was pretty hit-or-miss,” he said.

A break in the effort to open the road came when David Reed, a consulting engineer, came forward with information and proposals that could make the plan work.

Before Reed’s presentation nobody had done their homework, said James Williams, attorney for River Ridge.

“That information seemed so optimistic and doable,” Robinson said.

The information included options for funding, including the involvement of local government agencies, a need to ensure citizen safety and in-kind contributions to help fund the project.

After Reed’s report, and about 10 months before the opening of the road, an ad hoc committee — called the Utica 62 planning committee — was formed to ensure the completion of Waterline Road.

Robinson called the project a genuine partnership.

“This took vision,” said Dan Moore, Clark County Circuit court judge, who served as attorney for the Utica town board during development of the project. “This took a little bit of a change perhaps from [River Ridge Development Authority] master plan of how this industrial park was going to develop.”

Increased access will also help River Ridge to continue to develop and ensure its image as an industrial complex.

“This facility behind us will be a great thing for all of us in Clark County,” Moore said.