Marion County Highway Engineer Mike McCormick says centerline rumble strips are being considered as part of the upcoming improvements to Green Street Road.
His comments came in his report to the Marion County Board Tuesday night after a Raccoon Lake resident Mike Charman who travels the road every day asked for the rumble strips to be included, feeling it could save lives like those lost in recent head-on crashes.
“You hit that rumble strip you know you are way over. If you are on your damn telephone and you are wavering around on the road and you hit that rumble strip, you get back in your lane. This is what we are looking for.”
Charman says he’s been involved in several near misses on Green Street and the center rumble strips have proven successful elsewhere.
McCormick later said the strips were being considered in the plans now being developed for the more than $3-million project.
“There was a time when someone would come up to me and say you need to put center line rumble strips I probably would have said no, the road doesn’t move it’s not necessary people just need to pay attention. That has become an antiquated way of thinking. Because our driving demographics have changed dramatically just between the last 5-8 years. Number one is distracted driving. And anyone here who is a Marion County resident knows Green Street Road, if you are not paying attention, is going to get you.”
McCormick says all the surveying is done on the project and they are working on what kind of alignment they want. The survey results also have to be reviewed to make sure there are no wetlands or other environmental issues. McCormick doesn’t expect to have corridor approval until next summer. The improvements will include curve corrections, shoulder widening, and shoulder rumble strips. Actual construction is not expected until the Fall of 2023 or Spring of 2024.
Improvements are also planned for a section of Odin Road north of Green Street under the highway safety improvement grant. McCormick says two tight curves will be rounded, and a bridge widened.
The federal grant will provide nearly $2.5-million dollars to be matched with $900,000 in local funds.
