Plans to build a pedestrian tunnel at the Monon Trail crossing at 161st Street are back on track.
Director of Public Works Johnathon Nail gave an update on the renewed effort to push the project forward to the Westfield City Council in late January.
The at-grade crossing utilizes a high-intensity activated crosswalk, or HAWK, beacon signal, where pedestrians can push a button to signal a red light. However, Nail said pedestrians often forgo the signal and instead dart across the road when there is a lull in traffic.
Preparations for the tunnel date back to 2012, when the roundabout interchange at 161st Street and U.S. 31 was completed. At that time, the pilings and roof of an underpass at the trail were added so the street wouldn’t have to be closed when a tunnel project began.
The city started the design project in 2020 but the effort was shelved in 2021.
The city has since reengaged United Consulting, one of the original designers of the project, which is about 40 percent designed.
Nail said one of the large items is a 20-inch water main along the south side of 161st Street that needs to be relocated in order to construct the tunnel. Relocation of that main is anticipated for August 2024, with tunnel construction slated for April 2025.
Inflation has caused the overall project cost to increase from $7.3 million when it was halted, to an estimated $8.8 million as of this year.
Despite the increased cost, Nail said a tunnel was roughly $1 million cheaper than building a bridge at that location. But costs are variable.
“We won’t know the final cost of the project until we publicly bid it. We will have multiple contractors hopefully who will bid on the project,” Nail said, adding that the city will continue to look for ways to cut down on costs where appropriate.
Nail said the city has researched and applied for grants and other funding opportunities, but so far there has been no luck securing funds, meaning the city will be responsible for the total cost of the project.
But, Nail added, in many cases funds available via grant opportunities are distributed to address failing infrastructure, not planning needs such as this project.
“It can be very reactive instead of proactive. You have to show that there have been accidents, or even fatalities, to qualify for those federal dollars, unfortunately,” he said. “In Westfield, we try to be proactive. We’re certainly looking at other options for grants, keeping an eye out there, but for the time being we are moving forward at least initially with local funding.”
Renderings for public view will be available as the project progresses. Nail said if property owners are in agreement, the city also plans to add some trees and landscaping as a buffer.
The effort to build a tunnel follows guidance from the National Cooperative Highway Research Program Report 562, which examines selected engineering treatments to improve safety for pedestrian crossings taking into account traffic counts, pedestrian counts, accident reports, existing roadway conditions, and other variables.
