Drivers may have forgotten about the daily backups on two major north-south routes through the county since work stopped weeks ago, but reminders of the projects on U.S. 31 and State Road 135 remain.
But state officials say the roadside signs warning of construction and the asphalt chips left behind will be removed soon.
Work to repave two sections of State Road 135 and one section of U.S. 31 in Johnson County began this summer. While the construction and the long traffic backups that came with it wrapped up earlier this fall, to the nearly 100,000 drivers that travel on those roads every day, work didn’t appear complete.
Signs alerting drivers of construction zones are still standing in areas where work hasn’t taken place in more than a month. On the curbs and medians, chips of leftover pavement remain, as well as piles of asphalt in the grass.
Having some unresolved issues before the final inspection of a construction project isn’t unusual, Indiana Department of Transportation spokesperson Harry Maginity said. The state is aware of the remaining issues and will make sure the contractor fixes them in the coming weeks, he said.
The resurfacing work was part of a $6.1 million, 10-mile project by the Indiana Department of Transportation. State Road 135 was repaired between County Road 144 and Stones Crossing Road and between Curry Road and County Line Road. Work on U.S. 31 was done from Stop 18 Road to County Line Road.
An inspection is planned for Friday, where state engineers will walk the full length of the project with the contractors. The inspection, which is a routine step at the end of any project, will cover a checklist of all the work and clean-up that needs to be done, Maginity said.
If there is any work that isn’t complete, or clean-up that hasn’t been finished, the contractor will be given a week to get the final work finished, he said.
