Road crews will begin work soon on Union Street in Lafayette. Improvements are planned from the Wabash River to Erie Street, which is about eight-tenths of a mile long.
City engineer Jenny Leshney says the work totals $849,515.91.
“We’ll be working on curb, sidewalk, some pedestrian crossings and then resurfacing Union Street. As part of that, we’re adding a bike lane on the south side that will extend over to West Lafayette.”
The resurfacing project is expected to be complete by Thanksgiving and will cause lane and parking restrictions while the work is underway.
Leshney says one part of the project will enhance the layout of Union at 9th Street.
“We are reducing a turn lane there,” she says. “There are only going to be two lanes and they will be straight. You won’t have that drifting (of the lanes) back and forth again.”
She says the north side of the street will have parking, which will eliminate the left turn lane.
The city plans on making similar improvements to Salem Street. However, Leshney says there’s no timeline for that project and the funds are not available.
“Union Street is in worse shape,” she says.