Granger Paths

GRANGER — Backups along Gumwood Road between State Road 23 and the Michigan state line can stretch for more than half a mile on a daily basis these days. For years, drivers have been calling for a change. Wednesday, county leaders unveiled a series of major changes to do exactly that.

Crowds began lining up more than 30 minutes before the scheduled start of the public hearing at Prairie View Elementary School on Brick Road. By the time the meeting started around 6:15pm, the school's cafeteria was so crowded, the standing room only crowd spilled out into the hallway.

All were there to find out how the proposed $14 million project could affect them.

George Nyerges was one of them.

After nearly 40 years living on Gumwood, he's about as close to an "expert" as you'll find.

"When we [moved in], it had a dairy farm, and the road was gravel. It was a good place to live," he said.

Now, he says it's a crowded place to live. There's so much traffic, at times, he doesn't even bother to drive on the road where he lives.

"I never go Gumwood, because it's backed up. When the traffic's backed up, I go over to Grape Road. Look at it now," Nyerges said, pointing just beyond his driveway.

"As far as you can see coming this way, it's backed up," he continued.

Most of the time, Nyerges says drivers are nice enough to let him out of his driveway, even if there's a lot of traffic. But, he acknowledges the cars can be frustrating.

He's not alone in that frustration.

"It's terrible," said Brad Taube, inching along on Gumwood toward the Brick intersection. "It's very time consuming getting from Point A to Point B, and I drive down here all the time. [Lots of stopping] and starting."

"It's a pain, definitely," agreed another drive. "It needs a roundabout."

During Wednesday night's meeting, County engineers told residents and drivers it will get not one roundabout, but two--at Gumwood and Brick and Gumwood and Adams.

Among the other improvements proposed by the county plan:

-Expansion to five lanes from the Mishawaka city line to Brick Road, including a center turn lane
-Expansion to three lanes from Brick Road to Adams Road, including a center turn lane
-Widened lanes from Adams Road to the Michigan state line
-Five foot wide sidewalks on the west side of Gumwood
-A 10 foot wide multi-use hiking and biking trail on the east side of Gumwood
-New curbs, gutters and storm sewers
-New landscaping and lighting

The project will be completed in two phases, first from just North of State Road 23 to just North of Brick Road, then from Brick Road to the state line.

Some at Wednesday's meeting said, so far, so good.

"I'm impressed," said John Myers, who lives just off Gumwood. "It needed it for a long time. There's a lot of traffic coming down from Michigan now, and this will really help."

Asked about criticism that the project will change the scope of his neighborhood, Myers shook his head.

"In the long run, it's going to raise our property values having a nice street. It's going to help the neighborhood," he said.

Others speaking during the public comment portion of the meeting agreed.

But, some said they still had concerns over the project.

"This project will directly impact more than 50 of our properties," said Keith LaPierre, President of the Quail Ridge Neighborhood Association. "We do have some specific concerns regarding our sign and an irrigation well in the way of the project that's not represented on the map. There is a concern about long term drainage."

"But, assuming those issues can be addressed, Quail Ridge embraces this project, recognizing that it is needed," LaPierre continued.

Others, like Pam Cox, spoke in opposition to the proposed sidewalks.

"We are requesting you reconsider putting sidewalks along Gumwood Road," Cox said.

Cox called the plan for sidewalks unnecessary and a safety risk.

Others were worried about land acquisition.

The project will require more than 19 acres of land to be taken from the front yards of more than 100 homes. Only one homeowner will have to move--and that homeowner has already signed an agreement to do so. But, County Engineer Jessica Clark says the process will still be a challenge.

"Right of way acquisition is always a challenge. We really just have to sit down and negotiate with the property owners, and there is some give and take. We do try to listen to their concerns, and if we can accommodate those concerns reasonably, we do so. Then, we're able to acquire what we need to build the project," Clark said.

And, it's a project that will make a big impact for years to come, Clark said.

"This project is definitely needed to improve the traffic flow, so we can all get where we want to go," Clark said.

Land acquisition negotiations will begin next month, and construction bids could go out as early as this fall. The county hopes to break ground early next spring, and complete the project in two phases--State Road 23 to Brick by spring of 2012 and Brick to the state line by spring of 2013.

Most of the project will be paid for by federal highway funding.

The following is posted as a legal notice regarding the project:

All comments received for the record before, during and for a period of two (2) weeks after the hearing will be evaluated and considered in the decision-making process before the final design. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you have a disability for which St. Joseph County needs to provide accommodations, please call the County Engineers office at (574) 235-9626, by Wednesday, June 2, 2010. INDOT has agreed this project falls within the guidelines of a Categorical Exclusion Level 3. The preliminary design plans, along with the environmental document and other materials on the project are available for viewing at the following offices: 1. Ken Herceg & Associates, 211 W. Washington Street, Ste. 2100, South Bend, IN 46601, Phone # (574) 288-4580 2. St. Joseph County Engineer, 7th Floor, 227 W. Jefferson Boulevard, South Bend, Indiana 46601, Phone # (574) 235-9626 This notice is published in compliance with Code of Federal Regulations, Title 23, Section 771 (CFR 771.111(h) Entitled Early Coordination, Public involvement and Project Development, and the Indiana Public Involvement/Public Hearing Procedures for Federal-Aid Project Development approved by the Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation on April 1, 2009. Ken Herceg & Associates Nitin Timble Vice President (Operations) Phone (574) 288-4580 E-mail: ntimble@kenherceg.

Huge crowd turns out for first look at proposed Gumwood Road improvements

By Troy Kehoe (tkehoe@wsbt.com)

Huge crowd turns out for first look at proposed Gumwood Road improvements

By Troy Kehoe (tkehoe@wsbt.com)

Huge crowd turns out for first look at proposed Gumwood Road improvements By Troy Kehoe (tkehoe@wsbt.com)
(WSBT Photo) By WSBT News1 Story Created: Jun 9, 2010 at 10:06 PM EDT Story Updated: Jun 10, 2010 at 6:52 AM EDT
GRANGER — Backups along Gumwood Road between State Road 23 and the Michigan state line can stretch for more than half a mile on a daily basis these days. For years, drivers have been calling for a change. Wednesday, county leaders unveiled a series of major changes to do exactly that. Crowds began lining up more than 30 minutes before the scheduled start of the public hearing at Prairie View Elementary School on Brick Road. By the time the meeting started around 6:15pm, the school's cafeteria was so crowded, the standing room only crowd spilled out into the hallway. All were there to find out how the proposed $14 million project could affect them. George Nyerges was one of them. After nearly 40 years living on Gumwood, he's about as close to an "expert" as you'll find. "When we [moved in], it had a dairy farm, and the road was gravel. It was a good place to live," he said. Now, he says it's a crowded place to live. There's so much traffic, at times, he doesn't even bother to drive on the road where he lives. "I never go Gumwood, because it's backed up. When the traffic's backed up, I go over to Grape Road. Look at it now," Nyerges said, pointing just beyond his driveway. "As far as you can see coming this way, it's backed up," he continued. Most of the time, Nyerges says drivers are nice enough to let him out of his driveway, even if there's a lot of traffic. But, he acknowledges the cars can be frustrating. He's not alone in that frustration. "It's terrible," said Brad Taube, inching along on Gumwood toward the Brick intersection. "It's very time consuming getting from Point A to Point B, and I drive down here all the time. [Lots of stopping] and starting." "It's a pain, definitely," agreed another drive. "It needs a roundabout." During Wednesday night's meeting, County engineers told residents and drivers it will get not one roundabout, but two--at Gumwood and Brick and Gumwood and Adams. Among the other improvements proposed by the county plan: -Expansion to five lanes from the Mishawaka city line to Brick Road, including a center turn lane -Expansion to three lanes from Brick Road to Adams Road, including a center turn lane -Widened lanes from Adams Road to the Michigan state line -Five foot wide sidewalks on the west side of Gumwood -A 10 foot wide multi-use hiking and biking trail on the east side of Gumwood -New curbs, gutters and storm sewers -New landscaping and lighting The project will be completed in two phases, first from just North of State Road 23 to just North of Brick Road, then from Brick Road to the state line. Some at Wednesday's meeting said, so far, so good. "I'm impressed," said John Myers, who lives just off Gumwood. "It needed it for a long time. There's a lot of traffic coming down from Michigan now, and this will really help." Asked about criticism that the project will change the scope of his neighborhood, Myers shook his head. "In the long run, it's going to raise our property values having a nice street. It's going to help the neighborhood," he said. Others speaking during the public comment portion of the meeting agreed. But, some said they still had concerns over the project. "This project will directly impact more than 50 of our properties," said Keith LaPierre, President of the Quail Ridge Neighborhood Association. "We do have some specific concerns regarding our sign and an irrigation well in the way of the project that's not represented on the map. There is a concern about long term drainage." "But, assuming those issues can be addressed, Quail Ridge embraces this project, recognizing that it is needed," LaPierre continued. Others, like Pam Cox, spoke in opposition to the proposed sidewalks. "We are requesting you reconsider putting sidewalks along Gumwood Road," Cox said. Cox called the plan for sidewalks unnecessary and a safety risk. Others were worried about land acquisition. The project will require more than 19 acres of land to be taken from the front yards of more than 100 homes. Only one homeowner will have to move--and that homeowner has already signed an agreement to do so. But, County Engineer Jessica Clark says the process will still be a challenge. "Right of way acquisition is always a challenge. We really just have to sit down and negotiate with the property owners, and there is some give and take. We do try to listen to their concerns, and if we can accommodate those concerns reasonably, we do so. Then, we're able to acquire what we need to build the project," Clark said. And, it's a project that will make a big impact for years to come, Clark said. "This project is definitely needed to improve the traffic flow, so we can all get where we want to go," Clark said. Land acquisition negotiations will begin next month, and construction bids could go out as early as this fall. The county hopes to break ground early next spring, and complete the project in two phases--State Road 23 to Brick by spring of 2012 and Brick to the state line by spring of 2013. Most of the project will be paid for by federal highway funding. The following is posted as a legal notice regarding the project: All comments received for the record before, during and for a period of two (2) weeks after the hearing will be evaluated and considered in the decision-making process before the final design. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you have a disability for which St. Joseph County needs to provide accommodations, please call the County Engineers office at (574) 235-9626, by Wednesday, June 2, 2010. INDOT has agreed this project falls within the guidelines of a Categorical Exclusion Level 3. The preliminary design plans, along with the environmental document and other materials on the project are available for viewing at the following offices: 1. Ken Herceg & Associates, 211 W. Washington Street, Ste. 2100, South Bend, IN 46601, Phone # (574) 288-4580 2. St. Joseph County Engineer, 7th Floor, 227 W. Jefferson Boulevard, South Bend, Indiana 46601, Phone # (574) 235-9626 This notice is published in compliance with Code of Federal Regulations, Title 23, Section 771 (CFR 771.111(h) Entitled Early Coordination, Public involvement and Project Development, and the Indiana Public Involvement/Public Hearing Procedures for Federal-Aid Project Development approved by the Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation on April 1, 2009. Ken Herceg & Associates Nitin Timble Vice President (Operations) Phone (574) 288-4580 E-mail: ntimble@kenherceg.

Huge crowd turns out for first look at proposed Gumwood Road improvements By Troy Kehoe (tkehoe@wsbt.com)
(WSBT photo) By Jason Overholt Story Created: Jun 10, 2010 at 4:36 PM EDT Story Updated: Jun 10, 2010 at 6:27 PM EDT

GRANGER — On busy Gumwood Road, drivers will tell you the traffic can sometimes be a nightmare. “Terrible,” one driver said as he waited in a line of cars and trucks at rush hour. “Very time-consuming.” But St. Joseph County engineers have a fix. The 14-million dollar project will widen Gumwood in some parts, add a turn lane in others, and build two roundabouts: one at Brick Road and the other at Adams Road. Love them or hate them, roundabouts are becoming more common in St. Joseph County. The two proposed for Gumwood would make numbers eight and nine. Another roundabout is in the works for Ironwood Road at Auten Road. Jessica Clark, St. Joseph County engineer, said the county is using them for more than one reason. “Roundabouts improve safety, improve traffic flow, reduce pollution and fuel use, and are an attractive amenity to the community,” she said. Studies by the National Institute for Highway Safety show roundabouts reduce accidents by 40 percent, cut down on injuries by 80 percent, and there are 90 percent fewer serious injuries or deaths. South Bend Police Capt. Phil Trent said that while there are no hard numbers, he knows they’ve worked here. “Our experience [with local drivers] was a little learning curve and then things worked out … they work well once people learn,” Trent said. The learning curve seems to be the challenge. One woman who’d just pulled off of Gumwood Road said she likes them … now. “I do find them more convenient than the way it was before. At first I didn’t think I would. But I do. I like them.” “Once you get used to them, I think they’re great,” said another driver.