Town of Avon plans to build bridge, roundabout to ease traffic headache
AVON, Ind. (WISH) –The Town of Avon says it’s going fix the number one complaint leaders say they get from people who live there. Plans are in the works to build a bridge on Avon Avenue over the train tracks where drivers often get stuck.
The CSX rail yard in Avon has been operating for more than 100 years and trains go through about once an hour.
“It’s a major driver for commerce for Indiana,” Tom Klein, Avon Town Manager, said. “Not all of them stop right here, but a lot of them do stop and that’s because they’re loading and creating new trains in the rail yard over there at Dan Jones.”
Avon Avenue is commonly traveled to get to schools, businesses and even commute from Plainfield and all the way up to Brownsburg through Hendricks County.
Bob Mummert travels the road every day for Avon Community Schools.
“We have to drive around to all the buildings a lot to make out deliveries and everything and it’s kind of a hassle sometimes to deal with the train,” Mummert said.
Now he’s excited about the bridge project, which will also include trails and a roundabout for this area.
“I’m very happy to see it go in. We’ve been needing it for a long time,” Mummert said.
Mummert says when he does hit the train during his routes, he can be stopped for up to 20 minutes.
“Sometimes it seems longer than that,” he said.
“Everyday people are complaining about the trains being stopped on the tracks,” Klein said.
So the bridge couldn’t come soon enough, but building it will take a while.
“It’s going to be a disruption for 14 months, so it’s some short term pain for some long term gain for Avon,” Klein said.
Klein said there won’t be an increase to Avon taxpayers to carry the cost either. When the State of Indiana relinquished what was 267 and it became Avon Avenue, the town received $12-million. Klein is hoping that amount will cover the project.
“That will be great. We won’t have to deal with it and we’ll be able to get through a little faster,” Mummert said.
The project includes a ten foot trail on the east side of the road and sidewalk on the west side, plus a roundabout north of the bridge near East County Road 25 South. The town hopes to have it open in November 2017.
You can keep an eye on the progress online, the town has a web page specifically for updates to this project.
Watch as Avia8or flies over the CSX rail yard