Evansville-area road projects update: Walnut Street near completion; multiple INDOT contracts advancing

The Evansville Metropolitan Planning Organization policy committee received progress reports on a range of local and state transportation projects, including near-completion work on Walnut Street Phase 3 and multiple Indiana Department of Transportation contracts moving toward letting or construction.

The updates, delivered in the meeting’s project-status segment, covered Local Public Agency (LPA) projects in Evansville and several Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and INDOT projects affecting county and state routes. Presenters highlighted construction timelines, right‑of‑way work and ongoing utility coordination that could affect schedules.

City of Evansville: Walnut Street Phase 3 Construction on the city of Evansville's Walnut Street Phase 3 is nearly complete, with asphalt paving scheduled to be finished on Sept. 15, followed by striping, the presenter said. No contract value or final acceptance date was provided.

Vanderburgh County: Oak Hill Road The Oak Hill Road project, from Eastwood Drive to Millersburg Road, is finished and open to traffic; a pre‑final inspection was held Aug. 28. For the adjacent Oak Hill segment from Lynch to Saint George, two remaining right‑of‑way parcels are in the process of being paid for and final tracement materials were submitted to INDOT on Sept. 4.

Winberg Road bridge and right‑of‑way Presenters said right‑of‑way offers have been made for the Winberg Road bridge project; one parcel is expected to be condemned. Project staff are evaluating adjustments to right‑of‑way limits to avoid conflicts with a landfill gas‑monitoring valve and to reduce acquisition on a second parcel. Utility coordination is ongoing.

Kentucky Transportation Cabinet projects Committee members were briefed that additional design options were discussed in an August KYTC/LPA/MPO meeting for the Kentucky 2183 and Kentucky 1539 intersection project; presenters said further discussion is needed to determine viability.

INDOT project highlights An INDOT presenter summarized multiple contracts in the Vincennes and Southern districts: R‑41410 (UFS 41) is a pavement replacement whose mainline work is complete and final pavement markings were recently placed; R‑44898 (intersection improvements at Burghardt/Crosspointe/Stockwell) currently has lane restrictions, with a planned two‑week right‑turn closure noted in early September; R‑42287 and related pedestrian‑bridge work near St. Joe will begin pre‑phase work the week of Sept. 8, and structural work (including CSX bridge beams) is planned for early October.

Other projects noted included a small‑structure contract on State Road 68 with construction expected to begin next month (road closures anticipated); a pavement replacement package on SR 62 between Ingle and Wabash with lettings anticipated in December; countywide unsignalized intersection visibility improvements; a Morgan Avenue intersection project with added turn lanes; and several programmatic contracts for pavement preservation, soil‑nail repairs and signing/traffic‑control work. Right‑of‑way acquisition and utility relocations were recurring themes for projects preparing for letting in 2026–2031.

Utility coordination and schedule risk Committee members asked whether utility coordination was causing delays; presenters said coordination with utility companies within construction limits can cause delays and that timelines depend on the utility work and relocation schedules. Presenters did not provide a quantified delay estimate.

Committee response and next steps Committee members did not take formal action on the updates. Presenters invited questions and said more detailed schedule and right‑of‑way information would be available as projects move into later design phases.