Lebanon, INDOT in talks to transfer State Road 39; city schedules open house

Lebanon Mayor Matt Gentry said the city is negotiating with the Indiana Department of Transportation to take local control of State Road 39, and will host a public open house on July 22 to present resident feedback and discuss options for reworking the corridor.

The issue: why it matters Mayor Matt Gentry said INDOT has approached the city about ‘‘relinquishment,’’ the process by which a state highway is transferred to local control. He said the state would provide an initial payment when a transfer is completed, but the city would assume ongoing maintenance and construction responsibility.

What city officials are doing Gentry said the city ran an online survey of roughly 50–60 questions and received about 550 responses to gauge residents’ experiences and priorities for 39. The city has hired Avenue and A&F Engineering to prepare high-level cost estimates and expects a report this fall. The mayor said those estimates will inform negotiations with INDOT over how to bridge differences between what INDOT offers and what the city thinks would be needed to meet long-term goals.

Key findings and community concerns Gentry said survey respondents cited congestion and traffic flow, rather than outright speeding, as the main problems. Pedestrian issues — including gaps in sidewalks — and difficulty leaving businesses because of the center two-way left-turn lane (sometimes called a ‘‘suicide lane’’) were also flagged. A substantial portion of respondents were open to studying roundabouts as a way to improve flow and safety, though he said a vocal group opposed them.

Possible changes, costs and limits Gentry emphasized that a simple resurfacing would not resolve the corridor’s long-term problems: "If we all think there's a problem with 39, just taking it as is and then resurfacing isn't gonna fix the problem," he said. He described the relinquishment negotiation as a mix of cash offers and in-kind items (for example, equipment) and said the city will press INDOT for a package that reflects the engineering needs.

Public engagement and next steps The city will present survey results and conceptual options at the July 22 open house (6 p.m., Hermite Be Well Center at the high school, as announced by city communications). After finishing the engineering summary this fall, Gentry said the city will take the materials back to INDOT and continue negotiations. No final transfer or construction plan has been adopted.

What isn’t decided Gentry said no formal decisions have been made about specific treatments such as roundabouts, signals or lane reconfiguration. He also cautioned that INDOT’s relinquishment payment may not cover all construction the city would want, and any major reconstruction would require further funding decisions.

End note The city described the process as deliberate: public feedback will feed the fall study, and that study will shape the next round of talks with INDOT on funding and scope.