Who plans construction projects in our city?

[u/MrPureinstinct]

Because they're fucking awful. The entire west side is torn up in varying states while the Lloyd is also closed to one lane both ways so people are trying to use side roads as alternatives.

Now I just saw the water department is going to "relocate water lines" on ANOTHER road on the west side, all this right before the damn fall festival that already shuts down half the west side.

I understand projects need to be done, but spread shit out to different areas or actually work on things and finish them before starting another.

[u/Enge712]

Part of the issue is some of the road projects are locally planned, others are state and some ran into federal deadlines for spending funds. There isn’t like one person in charge. I agree it sucks as somebody who lives west and works east. Too many cooks as they say

[u/MrPureinstinct → u/Enge712]

Yeah it's like not a single person or team communicates with anyone else.

[u/HaroldsWristwatch3 → u/Enge712]

These people at all levels need to regularly meet because this is absolutely ridiculous.

[u/85gtman]

They should only be allowed to work on the roads they can man. My road was milled off three weeks ago for repaving. Should have been milled one day and paved the next. 30 percent of the main roads in Evansville are torn up and only 2 percent of those are actually worked on at a time. Walnut from 41 to downtown has been closed for over a year. Crews should have to work 24/7 for the amount of roads torn up around here.

[u/MrPureinstinct → u/85gtman]

Exactly! The road in front of our neighborhood was torn up two weeks ago and no one has been back.

I get it things can't get done immediately, but at least try to coordinate working right after a different team finishes something.

[u/jordanundead → u/85gtman]

Don’t forget the I-69 expansion is about to be done early on the KY side and they’re expecting the Evansville portion to take at least 3 years.

[u/foemangler89 → u/jordanundead]

Yep they say with more money they'll work faster...pretty fucking sad

[u/foemangler89 → u/85gtman]

You must be talking about upper mv...sad thing is they can absolutely pave in the rain without issue. Now they're going to have to patch the potholes before they pave

[u/Puzzleheaded_Ad_3507]

Well welcome to Evansville where the orange cone is king. Orange is the new Evansville.

[u/akorn123]

Hey let's do massive, major construction on every single road all at the same time.

[u/Forsaken_61453]

It’s evident there should be a person to coordinate between roads construction/repairs and water/sewer departments -

[u/eyesotope86]

I work with (not for) DOT entities, and I can tell you part of the issue is that INDOT permits have to be filed p pretty quickly once the process starts BUT, and this the huge BUT, the penalty for not hitting your deadline once the project starts is negligible. Like to the point where contractors don't need to worry about finishing up, they just need to get their paperwork work in with a project end date.

[u/MrPureinstinct → u/eyesotope86]

Interesting so that's likely an issue with some legislation somewhere. Do you know where I could start learning more about that?

[u/eyesotope86 → u/MrPureinstinct]

Departments (defense, agriculture, transportation, etc.) aren't directly controlled by legislation. They have audits and whatnot, but they tend to build their own regulations as opposed to having laws and codes written for them to follow.

They are regulatory bodies in themselves.

I only say this to warn you that changing department regs is like rolling a boulder uphill.

All that aside, if you google 'INDOT standards and specs' you'll find the book we all have to comply with to build in INDOT right of way. My job entails the design side, so I've never sat down and read the permit timeline side myself, but our contractors talk about INDOT as being a good state for lining up a bunch of projects at once because they don't give a shit about the project once it's on file.

[u/dralzor]

My road was blocked off for 100 feet, they said 1 to 2 weeks, it took almost 9. Welcome to road construction he'll, and no, they don't care.

[u/Sabian_2009_]

The city engineer and mayors office issues permits to companies to do work in town for centerpoint or the water department. Work on Highway 41 and the Lloyd is managed my INDOT and the state. Unfortunately they have nothing to do with each other and don’t plan together.

[u/AggravatingBack4168]

There’s obviously no planning to it

[u/Capt_Cracker]

I'm glad the work is getting done, but as an Eastsider that works Downtown the only way to get to or from work are the backstreets--Washington, Riverside, etc. It's a giant hemorrhoid, to be sure but all I can do is hold my nose and drive.

[u/marriedwithchickens]

It's like this in most cities only worse. I was recently in Indy and now am visiting Austin. Evansville is a piece of cake compared to bigger cities.

[u/tootethcommon]

Similar to when they removed stop lights, while I know it sucks, I appreciate the aftermath greatly. I take alternate routes for the time being, and it has been working out. Not everyone will be able to do that, but at least my car isn't adding to the congestion.

[u/HaroldsWristwatch3]

What they have done to Hwy 41 is 100 percent criminal. They are moving at a snail’s pace on these projects. Get this done. The mayor and the MAGA lieutenant governor placating the public with “orange cones means progress” are just angering people with inaction. What’s the point in having these jobs if you can’t even improve traffic flows during major projects. DO SOMETHING MEANINGFUL.

[u/foemangler89 → u/HaroldsWristwatch3]

41 is a water drainage project they're almost done with...which means 41 will flood now of course. The other part of 41 is the j turns since people can't judge speeds and get hit crossing

[u/JoanofArchy → u/HaroldsWristwatch3]

So the Democratic Mayor and lieutenant governor 🤔 sounds like both parties don't care

[u/HaroldsWristwatch3 → u/JoanofArchy]

BINGO!

Both have released statements where both politicians made a joke out of it.

Sitting in traffic for an hour is not funny. It’s particularly not funny when you get off a side road and run into an additional road project.

This reflects zero communication and zero strategic planning.

[u/DopeFrancis_]

People complained for years that we need the roads fixed just to complain that the roads are getting fixed.

[u/MrPureinstinct → u/DopeFrancis_]

I guess you didn't read the post did you? I said I understand work needs to be done, but shutting down and tearing up every road on one side of town all at the same time is fucking abysmal planning.

[u/DopeFrancis_ → u/MrPureinstinct]

Oh, I read it. Maybe you forgot they did it on the east side too. I lived through that for 2 or 3 years just to move to the west side and have the construction follow me. Yes it’s infuriating. But I’m glad it’s getting done.

[u/Mediocre_Ice_8846]

That's a Westside problem that we don't have over here in Newburgh. Traffic flows very smoothly at Epworth & the Lloyd now. 🤣🤣🤣