05-17-2006CLAYPOOL - More than 60 residents of Claypool attended an informational meeting held by Indiana Department of Transportation officials Tuesday at the Claypool Lions Club.
INDOT introduced general plans to Claypool residents for road construction around the Louis Dreyfus biodiesel plant to be built south of Claypool.
INDOT Planning Director Benjamin Shaffer presented a traffic study of the CR 700S and Ind. 15 intersection showing modifications were necessary to the intersection because of “limited sight distance.” Looking at the early May study, Shaffer did not expect the installation of a traffic signal at the intersection but did discuss early plans to widen Ind. 15 and raise the bridge over the railroad tracks. A left- and right-hand turn lane also will be added to the intersection of CR 700S and Ind. 15 for the biodiesel plant.
Fort Wayne District Development Engineer John Leckie told residents final road construction plans “are still in the design phase” for realigning the intersection and resurfacing Ind. 15.
Indiana 15 will be closed during resurfacing. Those in attendance raised several questions over the necessity of resurfacing the road.
“Roads usually last 10 or 11 years and 1996 was the last resurfacing of (Ind.) 15,” Leckie said. Leckie also said Ind. 15 would be resurfaced even if there was no biodiesel plant in construction.
Claypool residents expressed concerns over rerouting traffic during the CR 700S and Ind. 15 road construction as well as extra traffic resulting from plant construction and the reopening of Claypool Elementary School.
One Claypool mother asked if driving time would increase to and from Warsaw because of the construction. Shaffer responded that “extra signage” will be posted in the surrounding Claypool area to limit the amount of trucks but stressed traffic control and safety will come mainly through county enforcement.
Shaffer said design plans are still in the early stages of development and final plans will most likely be released in early November. INDOT officials stressed a public hearing announcement will be sent out prior to any road construction.