Monday was the beginning of three road closures in close proximity to each other in the downtown Goshen area. The City Engineering Department had carefully coordinated the closures for the 100 block of South Main Street and the 200 and 300 block of West Lincoln Avenue between the various contracted road construction companies for improvements to the Goshen Theater and paving projects, respectively.

The Indiana Department of Transportation notified the City late last week of their intent to close West Plymouth Avenue (SR 119), between South Indiana Avenue and South Third Street to do repairs on the Elkhart River bridge during this same time period.

Commuters are understandably frustrated as they traverse from point A to point B on their normal routes and find themselves in traffic accumulations of drivers that are trying to avoid detours. 

To help drivers navigate across town quicker, we have outlined some suggested routes to try at this time. A map with the alternative routes is below. Note that traffic is at its heaviest between 2 and 6 p.m.

Unless delays are caused by the weather, Main Street and Lincoln Avenue will be reopened in the middle of next week (the week of June 24). Construction on Plymouth Avenue is expected to continue by the end of June. 

Police Chief Jose’ Miller asks for drivers’ cooperation and patience through this construction period, “The driver in front of you, and the driver behind you are experiencing the same frustration as you. Anger at them, and driving demonstrating that anger, will not be a solution—this will only add distress to those around you.” 

As outlined above, the reasons why these three roads ended up being closed on the same date include private contractor schedules, equipment rentals, State involvement and poor weather conditions. 

Mayor Jeremy Stutsman said the following:

“Generally, the City tries to balance all public projects with the private projects while scheduling with the state and county governments. We also deal with the schedules of the paving companies who rent paving equipment (which has its own schedule and availability). 

“At the same time, these contractors are balancing schedules of projects in multiple communities. The City also considers the schedules of any of the utility/service companies, which may have to approve or move their infrastructure. Finally, we do our best to work around large events like First Fridays and the Elkhart County Fair. 

“As a bonus, the weather can be—and lately has been—very unpredictable, which makes it nearly impossible to keep up with a well-planned construction season. 

“The City overall balances the need to upgrade infrastructure while doing so in a timely manner. We do work hard to make every project move as quickly as possible, but we can’t ignore the needs of our community’s infrastructure. Our goal is to keep our community moving.”

Contractor Niblock Excavating is expected to close Lincoln Avenue for milling and paving from:

The bridge to 3rd St. June 17th – June 26th
Main St. to 8th St. June 24th – July 3rd
Main St. to 3rd St. June 26th – July 3rd

Construction will be done weather permitting.

The following is a press release from the Indiana Department of Transportation:

The Indiana Department of Transportation announces that bridge maintenance is scheduled for S.R. 119 over the Elkhart River, in Elkhart County, on or after Monday, June 17, weather permitting.

Beginning Monday, motorists may experience alternating lane restrictions and traffic directed by flagger or temporary signal between South Indiana and South 3^rd streets. Be prepared for stopped traffic and vehicles entering or exiting the work zone. INDOT reminds drivers to use caution and consider worker safety when driving through an active construction zone. 

Work on the S.R.119 bridge over the Elkhart River is expected to continue through late June, weather permitting. The contract was awarded to Pioneer & Associates for $573,000 and includes maintenance on several structures across the Fort Wayne District.

Bring your friends and family Saturday, July 6, to the third annual America’s Freedom Fest, featuring Rotors N Ribs, a daylong celebration featuring an airshow, 5k run/walk and fireworks display. The event will take place at the Goshen Municipal Airport, 17229 CR 42, Goshen, Indiana.

Though this is the third annual Freedom Fest celebration, 2019 marks 25 years since Goshen held its first airshow. Goshen Municipal Airport Manager, Randy Sharkey, stated, “it’s our tradition of having one of the largest fireworks displays in the Midwest, this event is attracting close to 30,000 spectators each year.”

The day at the airport begins at 8 a.m. with the Freedom Fest 5000. Now in its seventh year, the Freedom Fest 5000 continues to gain popularity among the running community with its unique venue. A $25 registration fee includes a 5K run/walk on the airport runway, a chance to win great prizes, and a ticket for the airshow later in the day.

Gates for the airshow open at 1 p.m. Warbirds and other static aircraft will be on display throughout the afternoon for those interested in viewing them up close. Food vendors and kiddie rides will also be available throughout the day.

The airshow will start at approximately 5:45 p.m. with performances by the USAF F-22 Raptor Military Team, P-51 Heritage Flight, Shockwave Jet Truck, Susan Dacy in Big Red, Randy Ball’s Mig-17 Russian Jet, Kyle Franklin’s Dracula, Sky Soldiers Helicopter demonstrations, skydivers and more! 

“This is the more impressive line-up we’ve ever had at the Goshen Airport,” Sharkey said.

Mad Bomber Fireworks will begin at dark around 10 p.m. ending a day packed full of fun with the traditional fireworks display. A full schedule can be found at americasfreedomfest.net.

Tickets in advance are $12 for adults and $4 for children. At the gate (the day of the event), tickets will cost $15 for adults and $5 for children. Children under the age of 5 are free-of-charge, as are veterans with military ID.

For those wanting to watch only the fireworks display, gates will open at 9 p.m. No tickets will be required at that time.

Advance tickets can be purchased at the following locations:

• First State Bank (locations in Goshen, Middlebury, Elkhart and South Bend)
• Goshen City Hall, 202 S. 5^th St., Goshen
• 5&20 Country Restaurant, 7995 Hwy 20, Shipshewana
• Double R Grocery, 65730 SR 13, Millersburg
• Gardners Outdoor Power Equipment, 2804 S. Main St., Goshen
• Goshen Municipal Airport, Main terminal building, 17229 CR 42, Goshen

The following are remarks from Stormwater coordinator Jason Kauffman during the unveiling of the storm drain art project.

Welcome everyone and thank you for joining us this evening as we officially unveil the 2019 Goshen Storm Drain Art Murals. We are very excited for everyone to see these amazing works of art.

The Storm Drain Art Project is an opportunity to celebrate Goshen’s beautiful water resources and look at ways that residents and visitors can work together to help protect them.

You may be wondering what a storm drain is and why it is important. The answer is each and every storm drain plays an important role in our city by draining rainwater and snowmelt to keep our roadways safe and prevent urban flooding. The role they serve became very clear this past weekend as roads began to flood after Saturday evening’s hailstorm caused many storm drains to become clogged with storm debris and trash.

Many, but not all, of the city’s storm drains flow directly to our local waterways, like the Elkhart River and Rock Run Creek, which means whatever falls or washes onto our roads can end up in a waterway with little to no treatment. This is called stormwater pollution. Stormwater Pollution is the only growing source of water pollution in our country today. It includes ordinary things like soil, trash, oil, grass clippings, fertilizers, pesticides, and pet waste, and when these pollutants enter local waterways they not only pollute the water but also make it difficult for fish and other aquatic wildlife to live or even breathe. Some pollutants can even pose a health hazard for humans as well.

Our theme this year was “Our rivers are a resource worth protecting” and we hope the combination of art and storm drains will help the public make the connection that what “we do on the land does affect our local waterways.”

I want to thank Mayor Stutsman and the members of the Goshen Stormwater Board (Mike Landis and Mitchell Day) for their support of this project. Thank you to the many artists who submitted proposals and to those who were selected to paint this year.

Please come forward when I call your name:  Rachel Weaver, Katelyn Pedler, Katelyn Conley, Rachel Neff, Holly Hathaway, the Day Program Participants at ADEC’s Gaining Grounds, Tavi & Dteban Mounsithiraj, Heather Potsander, Katarina Antal, and Jessica King.

This project would not have happened without your time and talents. Thank you to the members of the Selection Committee for helping to select these 10 artists.

Thank you to the many generous sponsors for your support of these amazing artists. Please come forward when I call your name: Mutual Bank, My Community My Water, Roger Miller State Farm Agent, Goshen Floral & Gift Shop, Maple City Health Care Center, Abonmarche, Goshen Floor Mart, Jeremy, Maija, Boden, & Pippin Stutsman, and Psi Iota Xi Sorority.

Thank you also to the city staff for your help in preparing each location so the artists could paint and for providing behind-the-scenes support. Thank you everyone.

To learn more about the Storm Drain Art Project pick up one of the brochures we have here with us this evening, scan the QR code by each mural with your smart phone’s camera, or visit our website www.StormDrainArt.org where you can access a map with artist and sponsor information.

Again, thank you for coming and enjoy the rest of your evening.