The Lake Avenue road diet is about more than just providing residents with wider lanes.
Q. I wanted to know when they will be filling in the large cracks going down Lake Avenue. It’s not only dangerous, but unsightly. – Shawn.
A. From my experience you could be referring to two different problems. Fortunately, Shawn, they both will have the same solution.
The section of Lake Avenue generally from Anthony Boulevard to Hobson Road definitely has some worn areas and concrete cracks. The tight lane configuration also means drivers often have to drive over large seams between concrete panels – many of which are sprouting weeds.
One project planned for next spring will correct most of those concerns – although it will raise a few others.
The city plans to reduce Lake Avenue from four lanes to three lanes between Anthony Boulevard and Stanley Avenue. The purpose is to make Lake safer by providing wider lanes for travelers.
Sean Gunawardena, city traffic engineer, said most of the cost of the nearly $1 million project will be in concrete repairs along Lake. He said only about $100,000 of the total will be spent on the paint to realign the lanes for travelers – leaving the rest to restore troubled spots of concrete.
In addition, the new lane alignment will generally follow the seams along Lake between concrete sections. This will prevent drivers from having to straddle the often large seams while traveling in a lane.
The project is expected to take about three months to complete. While I have concerns about traffic flow on Lake by reducing the lanes, it will be nice to not have to worry about running into the curb or into an oncoming vehicle when traveling alongside another driver.
Construction cops
Hoosier motorists should always be careful when driving through construction zones, but the state is giving you another incentive to watch your speed.
The Indiana Department of Transportation and Indiana State Police recently announced they will be converting white pickups to be used for traffic enforcement in and near construction zones. The trucks are typically used by construction inspectors and supervisors, so it will be difficult for drivers to know whether the truck they see belongs to a police officer or a construction worker. That, according to the state, is the point.
“Our expectation now is that seeing any white pickup truck in or near a construction zone will cause all drivers to be more attentive,” said Maj. Brent Johnson, the state police operations support division commander.
Radio Sage
This week’s audio question comes from Greg Sutter, who asks about the intersection of St. Joe/Hobson roads at Stellhorn Road. The segment originally aired Friday afternoon on WOWO and can be found online at www.journalgazette.net/roadsage.
