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NDOT utility relocations and US‑31 improvements outlined; Sellersburg staff brief council on schedule and impacts
Summary
Town engineering staff updated the council on utility relocations tied to the INDOT US‑31 project, timeline for bidding and construction, anticipated sidewalk and intersection changes, and coordination needs with state agencies and property owners.
Town engineering staff summarized the status of utility relocations and related improvements connected to the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) US‑31 project and other nearby highway work.
Mike Harris of JTS said the town is seeking easements and working with funders; he reported a DNR permit resubmission for an Ivy Tech-related work item and said the lead-service-line replacement and related water and sewer work are on schedule. He said town staff expect bidding in April and construction through the summer for a segment that will involve relocating water and sewer lines and other utilities where they conflict with INDOT’s proposed roadway improvements.
Harris and council members emphasized that utility relocations are town responsibilities when utilities lie in the state right-of-way and that INDOT sets the schedule for relocations tied to its construction windows. Staff said utility relocation work beginning in March will run about nine months and is limited to utilities that conflict with the state’s project; INDOT will coordinate which utilities move first to avoid downstream delays.
Council and staff described elements of the overall US‑31 project: a third traffic lane from Utica to State Road 403, intersection work at SR 403, Prather Lane improvements, repaving sections, and sidewalk and crosswalk additions in key stretches. Staff said INDOT has publicly discussed roundabout concepts at several Highway 60 intersections as part of a broader program of improvements; the town said the state has funding and is in various stages of planning and property acquisition.
Council members pressed for clarity about right-of-way impacts, private-property acquisitions and timing; staff said INDOT has conducted appraisals and public meetings and that INDOT will post schedules when finalized. Staff encouraged residents to consult the town and INDOT websites for project details and the posted construction schedule when it becomes available.
No formal council action was required at the meeting; staff asked for continued coordination authority and the council noted the need to communicate timelines to residents, especially during school travel periods.
