NEW ALBANY —
New Albany and the Indiana Department of Transportation have officially agreed on a deal for the city to takeover 4.5 miles of Ind. 111.
The Tribune first reported the terms of the contract last month, though Mayor Doug England said he was still reviewing the INDOT offer at the time.
New Albany will assume ownership of an INDOT maintenance garage along Grant Line Road and receive $6.125 million to control Ind. 111 in the city, which winds between Interstate 265 and I-64 from Mount Tabor Road to State Street.
The city has outlined plans to improve road conditions along the route with the state money, but they do not include an overpass over the railroad tracks along Grant Line Road near the General Mills Pillsbury plant.
As late as January of 2009, it was assumed that INDOT was still pursuing the overpass project to address congestion issues along the route. The state had made preliminary purchase offers to businesses INDOT needed to obtain and tear down so the bridge could be constructed.
In a news release Monday, INDOT officials said the overpass was deemed to be too expensive. Train traffic had decreased since the initial surveys and the overpass would adversely impact many businesses, according to the release.
City administration officials concurred with the state’s assessment, adding that much of the CSX Railroad track between Bedford and New Albany has been cutoff to through train traffic.
“The decision to abandon the overpass appears to be well-founded, based on the INDOT evidence and the service curtailment,” Deputy Mayor Carl Malysz stated in an e-mail.
“In fact, if it was built today, it might be what Kurt Vonnegut refers to as a ‘granfalloon.’”
England said the Ind. 111 corridor — which includes Grant Line Road, Beechwood Avenue, Charlestown Road, Vincennes Street and East Main Street — is the “spinal cord” of New Albany.
“It makes sense for New Albany to control it and, under the terms of the agreement, INDOT is providing the city with adequate financial and other resources to exercise proper stewardship.”
The deal includes federal grants and aid for roadwork to bring the worth of the package to nearly $11 million.
Any surplus cash is supposed to be placed in a non-reverting fund for future upkeep.
“Transferring [Ind. 111] allows the City of New Albany to develop and enhance this road as a city street, not as a state highway,” said INDOT Seymour District Deputy Commissioner Jack Stark.
With the INDOT cash, New Albany would widen Grant Line Road to five lanes and install sidewalks and storm sewers from Mount Tabor Road to McDonald Lane.
Other proposed improvement projects include pavement patching along Main and Vincennes streets, as well as Charlestown Road. Sidewalks, curbs and ramps would also be updated or installed along other portions of Ind. 111
Information about the deal was released in March by Rep. Ed Clere, a Republican from New Albany. England criticized Clere for announcing the terms of the contract before the mayor had officially signed the agreement.
England stated in a March 30 letter to the editor in The Tribune that Clere sought “kudos and political points” in preempting the administration’s announcement of the deal.
Clere is running for a second term in the Statehouse. His likely opponent will be Democrat Shane Gibson, who serves as New Albany’s city attorney.
Stark credited Clere for being involved in the negotiations.
“INDOT wants to thank all parties involved, especially State Rep. Ed Clere, for the help in making this a win-win solution for both the city and the state.”
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