Seymour is closer to being able to build a major bypass and improve a busy intersection, while Jackson County can redo two bridges with the latest round of federal transportation funding.

The Indiana Department of Transportation has awarded the city $9,425,000 to build a bypass connecting Burkart Boulevard from U.S. 50 on the city’s east side with Airport Road on the city’s west side and build a roundabout at Fourth and O’Brien streets.

Although the bypass project, which includes a railroad overpass, has received much attention in recent years, the roundabout has not been talked about as much, city engineer Nathan Frey said.

In 2015, the city had a traffic impact study completed on the intersection. Frey and Mayor Craig Luedeman didn’t expect to get any federal aid for the project this time around, but the city received $840,000.

Currently, the intersection is a four-way stop marked by stop signs. The intersection is close to Cummins Seymour Engine Plant and its technical center, Seymour Middle School, apartment complexes and a gas station, making it a busy and congested area for both vehicles and pedestrians.

“I had looked at the accident history and congestion at this intersection, and based on the numbers, a roundabout was the recommended solution,” Frey said.

Having a roundabout will slow down traffic but allow it to keep moving instead of having to stop. It also will prevent head-on collisions because of the way traffic will flow.

The project will go out for public construction bids in 2021 but likely won’t get started until 2023. The city will be advertising for bids to design the roundabout later this year.

The Burkart South Bypass will be built in two phases. The first phase is estimated to cost around $13 million. In 2016, the state awarded $4 million to fund Phase I, bringing the total in federal funding for that phase to $8 million.

Phase I will take Burkart Boulevard from U.S. 50 on the east side of the city south through farm fields to South O’Brien Street near Silgan Plastics.

The project includes construction of a railroad overpass to give motorists a route for getting around trains traveling on the Louisville and Indiana Railroad line, which runs through the city bisecting it into east and west halves. The overpass will cross the rail line southeast of Silgan and just north of East County Road 340N.

The city already has the design work completed for the first phase of the Burkart South project. The next step is property acquisition, where the city will purchase the 22 acres of property needed to build the road.

Construction won’t begin for another two years until after the project goes out for bids in July 2020. It will take two years to build Phase I, Frey said.

The new road will have two 12-foot lanes with 10-foot paved shoulders, like the section of Burkart Boulevard connecting State Road 11 to North O’Brien Street on the city’s north side.

The second phase of the south extension project will connect Burkart to Freeman Field by taking the route to South Airport Road, which will then reconnect with U.S. 50 on the west side of the city.

Along with the new road, the overall project also includes a 12-foot-wide walking and biking trail.

Once all phases are completed, motorists, especially semitrailer traffic, will be able to bypass Seymour from the intersection of U.S. 50 and Airport Road all the way to the intersection of Burkart Boulevard and U.S. 50, Frey said.

INDOT also has awarded the county $1,635,200 for two bridge projects.

One is the reconstruction of the bridge that carries County Road 300S over Rider Ditch, and the other is a bridge just east of County Road 500W on County Road 100S.

INDOT announced Wednesday a total of $161.2 million in federal transportation funding for 66 cities, towns and counties in rural communities. INDOT dedicates approximately 25 percent of its federal highway funds to supporting local projects each year.

Rural communities were invited to submit project applications to INDOT for potential funding during a call for projects announced in October 2017.

Communities must pay at least 20 percent in local matching funds and meet other federal requirements to receive federal funding.

Types of projects receiving funds include 27 bridge rehabilitation/replacement projects; 31 resurfacing/reconstruction projects; 17 Transportation Alternative Program projects that include work such as sidewalks, handicap accessible ramps and trails; and six traffic safety projects.

“Indiana is investing in transportation at record levels, and that includes more than just our highways,” INDOT Commissioner Joe McGuinness said. “Our sustained commitment to modernizing local roads and bridges, adding sidewalks and growing our trail networks sends a clear message that we’re building communities that are primed to attract and retain talent and spur job growth in the 21st century economy.”

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Local projects receiving federal funds from the Indiana Department of Transportation

Seymour

Bypass from U.S. 50 and Airport Road to U.S. 50 and Burkart Boulevard (Phase I), $3,905,000

Bypass from U.S. and Airport Road to U.S. 50 and Burkart Boulevard (Phase II), $4,680,000

Intersection of Fourth and O’Brien streets, $840,000

Jackson County

County Road 300S over Rider Ditch, $783,200

East of County Road 500W on County Road 100S, $852,000

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