Elimination of 10 alternatives for relocation of U.S. 231 proposed

By Matt Holsapple, Journal and Courier

The consulting firm studying the relocation of U.S. 231 west of West Lafayette announced preliminary choices of six routes that it will likely recommend that the Indiana Department of Transportation should eliminate from its list of ten alternatives.

Wendy Vachet, the project's manager from Merrillville's Michael Baker Jr. and Associates, said the recommendations may be changed after receiving more public input, but there are compelling reasons to eliminate each of the six routes.

"The one thing everyone asks us is, 'What are you going to do with all these alternatives? Are you ever going to get rid of any of them?'," she said at Thursday night's meeting of the project's Community Advisory Committee. "Well, we're trying to do that."

INDOT is considering plans to bypass 231 around West Lafayette and Purdue University. The first phase of the plan connected the highway to South River Road, and a second phase that is in the preparation stage will connect that stage to Indiana 26.

The proposed routes were considered based on a wide range of criteria, including potential traffic and access patterns; home and business displacement; interference with recreational, natural or historical areas; and effect on the community. The consultants also looked at the effect of each route on the long-term plans of the state, county and Purdue.

"It's not just traffic. It's not just the Celery Bog. It's not just Area Plan Commission plans or Purdue plans. It's got to be a holistic approach," Vachet said.

Vachet said the following routes are currently slated to be recommended for elimination:

•Line 2 runs from Airport Road and connects to U.S. 52 near the highway's intersection with Cumberland Avenue. The route would run through Blackbird Farms and cut off part of the Celery Bog.

"You're clipping the Celery Bog. You're eliminating 394 residential dwellings. That's crazy," Vachet said.

•Line 3 would go along the east side of the Kankakee, Beaverville and Southern Railroad tracks to the west of the Wake Robin subdivision. That route would have run near the Klondike elementary and middle schools and public recreation fields. Vachet said the route's proximity to those facilities made it unpopular.

•Lines 4, 5, 6 and 8 are the four westernmost routes. No. 4 would run along the western side of the railroad, and the other three would extend farther west, near Montmorenci. No. 8 would include portions of both 4 and 5.

Vachet said it was unlikely that a significant portion of travelers would use the bypass if it took one of those four routes because of their distance from West Lafayette. These westernmost routes likely would not produce the project's desired effect of pulling thru-traffic away from Northwestern Avenue and other residential areas.

These routes also did not fit into the Area Plan Commission's long-term plans.

"The closer in, the more (the bypass) will accommodate local plans," Vachet said. "You've got a lot of growth here. One thing a lot of people have said is, 'Don't take it out west; you'll just move the city with you.' "

Lorna Parkins, the project's Community Advisory Committee coordinator, said the choices for elimination are by no means set in stone. The firm is still seeking input, both from the committee and the general public, about the proposed routes.

"One of the reasons you're here is to help us capture some of the less tangible elements of the impact," Parkins said. "If you live here, how will your travel patterns be affected? How would your access be affected? How would your community be affected?"

The public will have the opportunity to comment or ask questions about the project at a meeting on June 6. Between now and then, people may also contact Michael Baker Jr. at the project's Web site, www.relocate231.com.

Once some routes are eliminated, the firm will look at the remaining routes in greater detail, leading to a final recommendation.

"Once we whittle down the alternatives is when we start to do more in-depth analysis," Parkins said. "We'll look at it even more with a finer-toothed comb."

On the Net

More information about the relocation of U.S. 231 and the criteria for choosing a route can be found at www.relocate231.com. The Web site also includes an opportunity for members of the general public to submit comments or concerns about the process to consulting firm Michael Baker Jr. Inc.