A project to improve traffic flow for motorists and safety for pedestrians in downtown Westfield is progressing.
The demolition phase of 32Connects, a joint effort between the Indiana Department of Transportation and the City of Westfield to improve State Road 32 (Main Street), is expected to wrap up in the next few weeks, according to Jennifer Beck, senior project manager for INDOT’s Greenfield District.
The project, slated to be completed by the end of 2025, weather permitting, then will transition to the utility relocation phase this fall, Beck said. During the transition, a historic building at 102 S. Union St. will be moved twice – first to allow utilities to go underground, then to get the building in its final location. Utility crews not impacted by 102 S. Union St. will be working on their relocation concurrently, Beck said.
32Connects will expand State Road 32 to four lanes between Poplar Street and Timberbrook Run. It also will include a roundabout at Ind. 32 and East Street, and improved sidewalks, crosswalks, signage and landscaping in downtown Westfield and the Westfield Historic District. The cost, being split by the state and the city, won’t be known until the end of the project, said Kyleigh Cramer, public relations director for INDOT’s East Central District.
Paving is expected to begin next year.
All standing buildings to be demolished as part of the project have been removed, Beck said, and material has been hauled off each site.
“We ran into unexpected basements, old grease traps and crisscrossed underground utility service lines at State Road 32 and Union,” Beck said. “Though this caused schedule delays, we reacted quickly to minimize the overall schedule impacts.”
When completed, 32Connects will allow traffic to move through Westfield much smoother and safer, and pedestrians should feel more comfortable with a physical buffer between the sidewalk and road and a median to provide refuge when crossing the street.
The project is an important one not just for Westfield but the entire region, Beck said. Johnathan Nail, director of public works for the City of Westfield, said the project will not only address congestion on Ind. 32 but will make for a safer and more aesthetically appealing downtown.
“We want our residents to experience our downtown as a destination, and this project is one of many steps to make that “want” a reality,” Nail said.
