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Madison City to spend $3 million on phased Main Street reconstruction; traffic signals and East End calming also planned
Summary
City staff told council they secured a $1.5 million CCMG grant that, combined with a $1.5 million local match, will fund a $3 million phase‑one reconstruction of Main Street between Mill Street and Broadway. Work will include full resurfacing, drainage, utility coordination, sidewalk and curb upgrades and signal improvements at key intersections.
City officials briefed the Madison City Council on a multi‑part infrastructure program centered on a $3 million reconstruction of Main Street and concurrent street and park work.
Planning director Mindy McGee told council that the city was awarded a $1.5 million County Capital Matching Grant (CCMG) and will match that amount with funds already set aside through a general obligation bond, creating a $3 million package for phase‑one reconstruction of Main Street from Mill Street to Broadway. Bid documents are being prepared with work expected to begin this summer, officials said.
The scope includes complete road resurfacing, stormwater and drainage fixes, and replacement or repair of sidewalks and curb ramps where needed. Brian Jackson in the utility department is reviewing sewer and water work that must occur before or during reconstruction, McGee said.
Project timing will account for local events. McGee said the city aims to have pavement down by Nov. 1 and will work with the contractor to sequence off‑road and non‑pavement work so summer events (Regatta, Chautauqua and other tourism draws) are disrupted as little as possible.
Separate but related safety projects funded by two safety grants will upgrade traffic signals at Main & West and Main & Mulberry with new signal equipment, audible crosswalks and restriping. An East End traffic‑calming restriping project has INDOT approval; city staff are preparing rebids after earlier bids came in above budget and will proceed when temperatures permit thermoplastic pavement markings.
On parks, McGee introduced Christian Hanson, newly in charge of parks groundskeeping after a reorg. Hanson said he will keep the Sunrise Golf Course crew in place while deploying teams to restore athletic fields and the city’s 28 parks, working with Department of Correction crews and other staff. “I’m really, really excited about this,” Hanson said; he emphasized immediate goals of returning several athletic fields to safe, playable condition.
Hanson and McGee also outlined planned changes to Main Street plantings: the city reduced small plant beds along the business district from about 71 to roughly 57 and plans to further reduce and reconfigure them so that approximately 25 beds will retain plantings while high‑traffic beds will be refilled with brick and permanent mulch. The change responds to watering, shade and heavy foot‑traffic problems that make many beds unsustainable.
Council members asked for drawings and more detailed schedules; staff said engineers will share plans and that bids will go out this summer.
