(TERRE HAUTE, Ind.) WTWO/WAWV – UPDATE: According to a Facebook post by Vigo County Commissioner Mark Clinkenbeard Springhill Road will not be opening yet.
The post states that due to an equipment malfunction, the contractor was not able to stripe the lanes. The machine was also unable to be repaired in time to make it back out onto the road Wednesday. Due to this, the post states that a new machine was brought Thursday to do the work. Clinkenbeard says that they are crossing their fingers that the road will be open to two-way traffic on Friday.
A multi-million dollar road construction project is wrapping up in Terre Haute. A ribbon-cutting ceremony took place Tuesday morning for Springhill Drive.
For months, a large portion of the popular and very busy road had been restricted to eastbound traffic only, so the street could be widened from two lanes to three.
The three lanes were needed to create a turn lane.
The head of the Vigo County Highway Department, Larry Robbins, said there had been numerous crashes in this area due to people trying to turn.
He also said, that in the past, there was also lots of congestion, but that should all change.
“This was the number one accident corridor in the county,” said Vigo County Engineer Larry Robbins. “So when we identify those types of projects, those are the things we look for. How we can improve safety and transportation needs around the community,”
The nearly five-million-dollar project increased in costs due to a slowdown of some of the utilities being moved. The county is looking at ways to recoup some of those costs.