The Town of Zionsville is addressing concerns that the intersection of 400 South and 875 East could be a potential hazard for motorists.
Mayor John Stehr addressed the issue before the Town Council last month. He said after visiting the site with members of the Department of Public Works, the town determined that there are several visual impediments at the intersection, including utility poles, trees, a communications cabinet and road signs.
“There has been a higher-than-expected accident rate there, and DPW has responded by installing extra signage,” Stehr said. “The accident rate has gone down by then, and they do not have any other plan for any future short-term changes. However, this has been on our radar, and the intersection is one of 21 identified on the recent road impact fee study that could meet the minimum warrants over the next 10 years that would call for a new traffic signal or roundabout to control the intersection.”
Stehr said normally the town does not rank its list for general road needs, but added it is reasonable to prioritize this one. The first step will be to determine cost, a project Stehr said DPW has started and will include land acquisition and utility relocations.
Any future work would be funded through the road impact fund, but Stehr said it is too early for a timeline.
Councilmembers were glad to see the issue addressed.
“I lived here for 20 years before I ever even drove through that intersection, so there are many people who probably don’t know anything about it. But for the people who do live near it, it is a concern of theirs and I’m glad that we’re looking into things,” Councilmember Tim McElderry said. “I would just urge the public to please be patient. It does take a long time for things like this to happen, and in the meantime, we will monitor it. If there’s anything else we can do in that time between now and when any type of corrective measures are made, we will do that.”
McElderry added that this issue is a good example of collaboration between the new council and mayor.
