Greenwood prepares to start work on roundabout

GREENWOOD, Ind. (WISH) – A warning for those driving through this Johnson County city: Traffic headaches are on the way.

Construction on a roundabout at Madison Avenue and Smith Valley Road is set to begin June 1. It’s expected to reduce traffic delays, but not everyone is on board.

The owner of Kwik Kash Pawns thinks the roundabout will affect his business.

“We give loans to people based items that they bring in. We value it and then give them some money. If they need something for their phone bill tonight, we’ll take care of it,” store owner Ed Kacklay said.

Right outside the building on Smith Valley Road, traffic is often stop-and-go.

“It’s extremely congested during rush hour,” Kacklay said.

The city gave the green light to build a roundabout to improve the flow of traffic and increase safety. But, Kacklay said, he wants to put the breaks on the project. Kacklay said he fears construction will not just slow down traffic but also slow down business.

“It’ll be very congested and people will avoid the area, which will cause us to lose even more business,” Kacklay said.

In addition, Kacklay said, he is concerned about the roundabout being ineffective in improving traffic flow.

“The roundabout is barely a football field from the stoplight at U.S. 31, which will cause traffic in the roundabout,” Kacklay said.

The capital project manager for the mayor’s office, Kevin Steinmetz, said, “We think that the changes in concert will allow there to be less backup at that stoplight.”

Steinmetz said the intersection is outdated and changes will have long-term benefits.

“Your normal Greenwood driver, it’s probably one of the points that they would list as a frustrating spot that would be high on that list,” he said.

Construction on the roundabout is is estimated to wrap up in four months.