Accelerated time frame equals accelerated county desires
By Debbie Lowe Staff writer

CCEDC Director Daryl Smith & Delphi Mayor Randy Strasser

After Gov. Mitch Daniels' conference call last week to announce his plan to accelerate the time table for the completion of the Hoosier Heartland Highway between Lafayette and Fort Wayne, locals realized Daniels' plan would also accelerate their efforts to influence the Indiana Department of Transportation to recognize the community's design vision of one of eight county access points to the highway.

Delphi Mayor Randy Strasser and Carroll County Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Daryl Smith said Monday that out of the eight county highway access points planned, only one is grade-separated. And if the community is to think of the importance of future development on Delphi's East Main Street near the old The Anderson's plant, the highway interchange design needs to be changed at that location. Smith called the design "problematic to future economic development."

Smith and Strasser explained there are two kinds of access points planned for Carroll County. One is called "at-grade" which means the approaching road will intersect the highway on the same level or on the same geometric plane in space. Those county roads will utilize stop signs. Traffic intending to turn onto the new highway will do so from a stand still. An example of an "at-grade" access point is the intersection of SR25 and Grant Road in Americus. Traffic on Grant Road must enter the traffic pattern on SR25 from a stand still.

The second kind of access point planned is "grade-separated" which means the new highway will be on a different ground or elevation level from approaching traffic. This allows local traffic to blend into the flow of highway traffic, which is considered a safer method to bring together two streams of traffic traveling at different rates of speed. An example of "grade-separated" interchange is at SR25 and I-65, which utilizes access lanes for merging traffic.

"Right now, the "at-grade" interchange may seem like it would work," Smith said. "But if we look to the future with anticipated growth in that area, we would want an interchange on the outskirts of Delphi that would be safe for tractors, combines, semi-trucks and other industry-related vehicles to use to access the highway."

"It's all about safety of those traveling the highway and those needing to get into the traffic flow," he added.

Strasser said it was important for the county and the city to direct with zoning ordinances protection of the areas around the interchanges. He said INDOT will be asked to purchase extra land at those sites to allow the county to develop them commercially. Strasser said "grade-separation" interchanges need approximately 40 to 50 additional acres for design and implementation.

Smith and Strasser are members of the Hoosier Heartland Coalition, which is the group designated to work with INDOT about highway issues. Strasser said the commission was established 30 to 40 years ago and is focused on getting the last leg of the highway built. He said the coalition has urged all concerned entities and groups along the route from Lafayette to Logansport to work together to expedite the completion of the highway project.

"The time to act is now, given that the time line has been accelerated," Strasser said. "But all county and local parties agree that we need to get it built and in a timely manner."

"We do not want to slow down the completion of the corridor," he concluded.

"Anything we recommend will be within the timeline for construction with the highway," Smith agreed.