Author Archives: Sharon

NIPSCO WORK: WEEK OF MARCH 15

NIPSCO will be working on a number of projects and at a number of locations this week in Goshen:

• March 15–April 2: Beginning Monday, March 15, and through Friday, April 2, a subcontractor for NIPSCO will be relocating a gas main in preparation for roadway construction along Reynolds Street, east of Lincolnway East (US 33). There will be lane restrictions in this area from March 15 through April 2.  

• March 16: NIPSCO will be inspecting a valve at the intersection of Logan and Monroe and will require some temporary lane closures for portions of the day Tuesday, March 16.

• Extension through April 16: Lane restrictions along Lincoln Avenue and Olive Street will be extended through April 16, due to the need to safely install a gas main around unmarked utilities in that area, and because of previous weather interruptions.

• March 22–24: Lane restrictions are scheduled between March 22 and March 24 on Dierdorff Road and College Avenue, as well as Kercher Road and Century Drive, as NIPSCO will be working to cut and install jumpers on overhead power lines. NIPSCO anticipates the work to involve quick setups and teardowns with minimal interruptions to traffic.

• March 22–26: NIPSCO has requested permission to close Olive Street, just north of the intersection with Lincoln Avenue, from Monday, March 22 until Friday, March 26, 2021, in order to complete gas main tie-in work. All necessary traffic controls will be utilized. Traffic will be detoured onto Steury Avenue.

Ninth Street Corridor Crossings closed to traffic

Due to a crash involving a train and two other vehicles along the Ninth Street Corridor at Madison Street, several railroad crossings along Ninth Street are blocked to traffic.

Currently, the railroad crossings at 5th Street and at Cottage Avenue are open to traffic. The Railroad crossing at Lincoln Avenue, near 8th Street, is closed, as are the crossings going south along the 9th Street corridor south to Kercher Avenue.

Goshen Police and Fire were dispatched just after 2:30 p.m. to reports of a crash between a northbound train, and two vehicles traveling eastward.

One person was reported injured and transported to the hospital. A minor spillage—non-hazardous— also was reported.

Rail crews are working on their investigation as quickly as possible to ensure the crossings reopen soon.

CITY OF GOSHEN CONTINUES TO WORK WITH MACOG TO DESIGNATE NEW TROLLEY ROUTES

Take the survey by clicking here!

The City of Goshen is continuing to work with the Michiana Area Council of Governments (MACOG) on a multi-phased study to explore expanding public transit in Goshen. Beginning February 25, 2021, all Goshen residents are invited to take an interactive survey to provide input on various route options being considered.

Phase 1 of the Transit Expansion study, initiated in September 2020, asked residents to identify where they would like service and how new service should be evaluated. This phase included a survey, available online and onboard the Trolley buses, along with a location request map to help identify potential new destinations for transit service throughout Goshen.

Since the survey closed at the end of October 2020, MACOG reviewed the 241 survey responses and 230 requested locations received from Phase 1. Over half of the survey responses came from current non-riders, whose primary reason for not currently riding the Interurban Trolley is that the service does not go where they want. Participants also listed that their main purpose to take the Trolley is for going to work, healthcare, or shopping. When MACOG analyzed the top requested destinations for service, this included Oaklawn Psychiatric Center and Goshen Hospital.

Taking all the information gathered as part of Phase 1, MACOG developed two (2) primary concepts for the proposed route networks. The first concept is to preserve the Red Line as it is and add two (2) new routes, a Northern and Southern Loop, to expand the service area within Goshen. The second concept is to shorten the Red Line to end in Downtown Goshen and to add 3 new routes serving the Northside, Central, and Southside sections of Goshen. Each concept has multiple proposed route options for residents to select as their preferred option. This allows participants to build the preferred network and provide input between each concept.

The interactive survey is available at goshentransit.interurbantrolley.com/ through March 27, 2021. Paper surveys will also be available at City Hall and the Goshen Public Library. For more information, contact MACOG at 574-287-1829 ext. 888 or by email at goshentransit@macog.com.

LANE RESTRICTIONS: NORTH MAIN STREET

North Main Street, between Pike and Middlebury streets, will have partial lane restrictions between March 2 and March 4. This is to allow NIPSCO to install street lights on North Main Street.

NIPSCO will maintain open access for businesses and resident on North Main Street. The utilities company will be providing traffic control.

EXTENSION OF ROAD CLOSURE AND RESTRICTIONS: OLIVE STREET

Olive and Lincoln avenues have been closed and restricted to allow NIPSCO to move utilities ahead of road and utilities reconstruction.

Due to the discovery of additional, unmarked utilities, NIPSCO has requested to extend the Olive Street road closure from Monday, March 1, to Friday, March 5.

Existing lane restrictions to Lincoln and Olive avenues will be extended through March 19.

ROAD CLOSURE: OLIVE STREET

Due to additional utilities that were uncovered during the excavation, Olive Street will again be closed just north of Lincoln from Monday, March 1, through Friday, March 5. Olive Street will be open to traffic this weekend.

UPDATE ON ROAD CLOSURE: OLIVE STREET AT LINCOLN AVENUE

Due to the weather, the closure on Olive Street north of Lincoln Avenue was postponed until Monday, Feb. 22 through Friday, Feb. 26 . NIPSCO is working to relocate a gas main in this area, and crews will need to remove and excavate underneath the roadway.

Traffic will be detoured onto Steury Avenue to avoid the road closure.

NIPSCO expects that Olive Street will need to be closed in the same area again in the coming weeks. A notification will be sent out when dates are known.

AMERICA’S FREEDOM FEST POSTPONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE THIS YEAR

Men standing on wing of airplane.
Freedom Fest 2018. Photo Credit: Alaina Gingerich

Goshen’s annual air and fireworks show that takes place at the Goshen Municipal Airport and is attended by thousands of residents, will be pushed back until further notice this year.

Organizers of America’s Freedom Fest announced today, Feb. 19, that the 2021 edition, slated for Saturday, July 10 at the Goshen Municipal Airport has been postponed until further notice in light of the uncertainty linked to the current COVID-19 health crisis.

Randy Sharkey, Goshen Airport Manager and co-founder of Freedom Fest said, “the board of directors unanimously agreed to postpone the annual air show and fireworks show in response to the pandemic and the large number of visitors the show attracts each year. 

Sharkey estimated the crowd at the 2019 show to be between 22,000 and 24,000. The estimate does not include all of the airport’s neighboring residents that host family reunions and get-togethers on that day to watch the shows from outside.

“We are obviously disappointed not to be able to hold this huge patriotic event in our community this year”, stated Dr. Gregg Lanzen, the show’s co-founder and President of the Board. “We spent many hours as a committee looking at different options of how to safely host this year’s event and the end result was we need to postpone until our county no longer has any restrictions on large event gatherings.”

According to airshowstuff.com America’s Freedom Fest is one of only two air shows scheduled in Indiana in 2021. The other airshow is scheduled at the Madison Municipal Airport, Madison, Ind., on September 25, 2021. 

“I want to thank the organizers for working diligently with our County Health Department to find a safe way to host the show, and ultimately making the tough but responsible decision to postpone,” Mayor Jeremy Stutsman said. “I know I’m not alone when saying I look forward to a time when we can safely return to attending events like this one soon.”