By SCOTT SMITH
Work crews were setting up drilling equipment in the bitter cold Monday, getting ready for the next round of utility work and road closures on Sycamore Street.
Sycamore Street residents can expect limited access to Sycamore in the blocks east and west of the railroad crossing near the Sycamore and Western Avenue, according to project engineer Russell Whann, who is overseeing the work for the Indiana Department of Transportation.
Sycamore was officially closed to through traffic Monday afternoon, with barricades erected between Philips Street and Berkley Road.
Residents who live in the six-block stretch of Sycamore still will be able to access their homes by coming in from the west, off Berkley Road, Whann said.
The eastern end of the work zone, Philips Street, is blocked off and Whann said work crews are likely to position their heavy equipment during off hours to ensure drivers don’t try to squeeze around the barricades on the Philips end of the closure.
Crews from Indiana American Water Co. will be installing a 16-inch water main between Berkley and Washington Street, as part of an effort to relocate utilities along Sycamore Street before road construction begins this spring.
INDOT will be widening and rebuilding Sycamore, also known as Ind. 22, between Berkley and Washington over the next 10-12 months. The work is the next phase of a project which already has seen Ind. 22 upgraded between Berkley and Malfalfa Road on the city’s west side.
The Berkley-to-Philips closure is initially expected to last until Dec. 23, then the road will be reopened for a brief period.
Whann said the closure should be back in effect Jan. 3, and remain in effect for the remainder of the winter months for additional water main and service line installations.
Residents with questions about the project can stop by the construction field office, 2217 W. Sycamore St., or call the office at 457-5065.
Scott Smith may be reached at (765) 454-8569 or via e-mail at scott.smith@kokomotribune.com
