John Nell, director of public works for the city of Westfield, told the City Council on Oct. 13 that the public works and engineering teams have completed several roundabouts and are progressing on a slate of major transportation and streetscape projects tied to the city's eight-year capital improvement plan.

Nell said the capital improvement plan introduced in April 2024 totals about $186 million; the city has invested roughly $27.8 million to date (about 15% of the plan) and the proposed 2026 budget contemplates an additional $37 million in investment.

Nell described recent completions and ongoing work including three completed roundabouts this year (150th & In Town; 180th & Wheeler; 160th & Spring Mill), the multi-stage State Road 32 downtown reconstruction and a large box culvert installation that required a closure between Poplar and Union. He stressed the closure was used to speed construction, limit overall costs and improve safety while major utility relocations (water and sanitary sewer) and a 14-by-6 box culvert were installed.

Monon tunnel and 190th Street
Nell said the city completed necessary right-of-way acquisition and water-main relocation for the Monon Trail tunnel project and expects construction to begin in early 2026, with coordination remaining for landscaping and adjacent property access. He also reported that 190th Street phase work will continue next year: phase 1 construction will prioritize the segment from Grand Park Boulevard to Tomlinson/Thomas with traffic maintenance plans to preserve access to Grand Park. Phase 2 will extend from Grand Park Boulevard toward Spring Mill Road and include new roundabouts to improve connectivity and reduce left-turn conflicts for Horton Road area residents.

Other projects and tactics
- Town Road Extension: a new alignment and bridge over Little Eagle Creek to tie into State Road 32 and the Westwood-Washington transportation center; expected to address traffic from the new middle school and transportation hub.
- Mule Barn widening and turn-lane additions on SR 32.
- A pedestrian bridge over 190th Street for the Monon Trail to improve safety and act as a gateway to Grand Park.
- Downtown Jersey Street reconstruction and Cherry Street bridge widening (including pedestrian facilities).

Nell also outlined operational changes intended to reduce costs: instead of sending employees to outside CDL training at about $3,000 per person, the city will self-certify and train in-house at a few hundred dollars per person. Nell said that shift will save significant money as the street division expands staff to self-perform crack sealing and patching.

Council response and context
Councilors praised public works staff for responsiveness during a difficult construction season and for using school-year schedules to open critical intersections when school was out of session. Mayor Scott Willis thanked the department and said the administration is committed to moving forward with major infrastructure projects while monitoring cost and schedule.

Nell provided a timeline update on State Road 32 work: the segment closed from Union to Poplar is expected to reopen to one-lane-each-direction traffic later in October, with final project completion targeted by the end of next year. He explained delays were driven largely by utility relocation schedules; some utilities would not mobilize crews until final easements were secured.

Ending
Nell closed by reiterating the department's commitment to complete projects safely and to continue monitoring traffic and intersection safety as new developments come online.