By Ann Marie Shambaugh
The results of a recent study show that study show that nearly half of the streets maintained by the Town of Zionsville are in poor condition or worse.
Greg Wendling of USI Consultants presented the findings to the Town Council at its March 7 meeting. He said a two-man crew drove all 107 miles of Zionsville roads to visually inspect and rate them from 1 to 10, with 1 being a failed road and 10 being excellent condition.
Nearly 40 percent of Zionsville roads ranked at a 3, or poor condition, with another 8.5 percent ranking worse.
USI recommends structural improvements for roads that rank at a 4 and below. In Zionsville, more than 147 lane miles of road meet that criterion, which USI estimates would cost $22.9 million to repair if done at once. A lane mile equals one 11-foot lane times one mile.
Lance Lantz, Zionsville superintendent of street/stormwater services, said that the town spends approximately $1 million each year fixing streets, which includes major repairs to the town’s worst roads and lighter maintenance to keep newer ones in good shape.
“My sense is that we are spending at a very good level for a community of our size,” Lantz said.
Wendling said the results are similar to what his company recently found in Lebanon and Boone Co. The roads in Whitestown fared better, he said, in part because most of them are newer.
