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Commissioners approve barricade ordinance first reading and sign letter with INDOT as county weighs gates, detours
Summary
Johnson County held first reading of an ordinance criminalizing unauthorized removal or tampering with barricades and approved a letter of understanding with INDOT on a State Road 44 detour; board discussed repeated flooding, barricade durability and potential gate installations.
The Johnson County Board of Commissioners held the first reading April 14 of Ordinance 2025-504, which would prohibit unauthorized removal or tampering with barricades or traffic-control devices. The first reading moved forward after brief public remarks about repeated misuse of barricades during recent storms.
A commissioner described seeing barricades knocked down and vehicles in deep water over a recent weekend, calling the behavior “absolutely absurd” and saying it endangers both residents and public servants. “It—s a shame that we—re discussing this today... I think it—s about time that we—ve made a statement,” said Commissioner A (Johnson County Commissioner).
Separately, the board approved a letter of understanding with the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) related to a planned INDOT project on State Road 44 east of County Road 575 West. Daniel Johnson, highway engineer, told the board INDOT will establish an official signed detour and the county and INDOT have identified local roads as an unofficial detour; the letter of understanding creates a process to identify and reimburse repairs for detour-related damage.
Commissioners and highway staff discussed localized road conditions, utility relocations and the practical difficulty of proving detour-related damage. Commissioner B raised concerns about worsening conditions on County Road 575 and the need to repair sections before construction so baseline conditions can be agreed.
Board members also asked highway staff to explore more-durable barricades and to map repeat-flood sites for potential gate placement. Highway staff said they are compiling maps, considering access issues for property owners, and noted that during major events the county can run short of Type 3 barricades and must rely on other signs that may blow over or be taken.
The ordinance passed first reading; the letter of understanding with INDOT was approved and executed at the meeting. Staff were directed to continue work on barricade supplies and gate-placement planning; no binding contract for gates was approved at the meeting.
