Here’s everything you should know about lane closures in Bloomington scheduled for September

Bloomington, Indiana – According to a news release from the city, lane restrictions on Fourth Street, Sixth Street, College Avenue, Walnut Street, and West Third Street will start in early September due to street resurfacing improvements.

The construction projects are meant to enhance pedestrian safety, accessibility, and road conditions. The Downtown Street Maintenance Project is expected to begin work on September 3 according to the City of Bloomington’s plan. Early September is also when the West Third Street Maintenance Project is scheduled to start.

To shorten crosswalk distances, the city will also install intersection bump-outs and curb ramps for accessible pedestrians in addition to resurfacing the asphalt. There will be no more eastbound or westbound right-turn lanes at Fourth Street and College Avenue or Fourth Street and Walnut Street.

On Sixth Street, head-in angle parking will give way to back-in parking to make room for accessible spots. On the City of Bloomington website, the locations of the new accessible parking spaces and a clear map showing which routes are impacted by construction are accessible to the general public.

There will be similar construction on West Third Street. From Franklin Road to Landmark Avenue, the city intends to paint a distinct buffer between the bike lane and the motor vehicle lane.

Furthermore, at the intersection of Third Street and Patterson Drive, a truck apron will be erected. Truck aprons offer more space via a sidewalk outgrowth and enable heavier trucks to safely negotiate hairpin curves.

Until the project is finished, students and Bloomington residents may experience delays in traffic and public transportation due to the city’s intention to implement temporary lane closures during construction.

In an email, Jeremy Inman, the project manager overseeing the downtown construction, stated that, contingent upon the weather, road construction will conclude by November 2024 at the latest. By the end of 2024, the Third Street project will be completed.

The main source of funding for these initiatives comes from taxes collected as part of the downtown area’s classification as a Community Redevelopment Economic District. Additional funding for the West Third Street project came from the Indiana Department of Transportation’s Community Crossings Matching Grant Program.