Avon Avenue bridge opens months ahead of schedule
HENDRICKS COUNTY, Ind. (WISH) – A new bridge along a major road in Avon will open early on Nov. 15.
The bridge is located on Avon Avenue just south of Rockville Road or Highway 36.
The road has been closed since February. Previously, it was the only major north-south roadway in Avon that didn’t go under the train tracks or over them on a bridge, so drivers were often stopped for up to 30 minutes waiting for a train.
Now, a new bridge will take commuters over the train tracks, relieving those traffic headaches.
Town Manager Tom Klein says the two-lane design is aimed to calm traffic, not serve as a highway through Avon.
There are two elementary schools south of the new bridge and another school area just north of it where there is a new roundabout.
The project also includes new trails and sidewalks allowing pedestrians to get around Avon in a way they haven’t been able to up until now.
“Before this project you couldn’t get from the south side of town to the north side of the town because of our road system. This is our first trail and sidewalk system that will connect the south side of town with the north side as I call it,” Klein said.
The projected opening date for Avon Avenue was Summer of 2018. Klein said the town will pay the contractor about $180, 000 extra for meeting their accelerated Nov. 15 deadline.
Town Council President Aaron Tevebaugh said “This is a big day for not only Avon but also our entire Hendricks County community. The fact that no one will ever have to wait in traffic for a stopped train in the town of Avon is a great accomplishment. I am very appreciative to our staff, contractors, design professionals and the other entities that came together to help make this happen. This project is a great example of the constant collaboration that goes on in and around the Avon community.”