City of Bloomington Utilities is nearly ready to move on to the last phase of the Clear Creek culvert restoration.
The project will improve storm drainage and alleviate flooding downtown by bringing an over 100-year-old tunnel to current standards. Phase four of construction is complete.
Miles of culverts running underneath downtown take the Campus River from Dunn Meadow on Indiana Avenue to Clear Creek at First and College. Before the project, these culverts were some of the oldest infrastructure in the city.
The project began in 2021. The next phase will focus on the culvert by Dunn Meadow. The city plans to close a portion of Indiana for about eight to ten weeks and reopen in time for the fall semester.
“We do plan to close Indiana there between Kirkwood and Sixth Street, and that is to finish up the culvert reconstruction right there underneath Indiana,” Holly McLauchlin, communications manager at City of Bloomington Utilities, said.
The city is waiting for permit approval before moving on to phase five. McLauchlin said that should come sometime in June.
The closure, if the permit is approved, is planned from June to August to reopen before classes resume at Indiana University.
This will be the last phase of this culvert reconstruction project. Full project completion is planned for October.
Milestone Contractors is doing the construction for the project.
