Construction will cause Cumberland closing
>>Print ViewPublication Date: 02/23/2010
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Starting Monday, Cumberland Avenue in West Lafayette will be closed to all traffic between U.S. 52 and the Salem Courthouse Apartments.
David Buck, West Lafayette city engineer, said the closure’s impact will be limited and mitigated by other streets.
“We’re fortunate that there’s fairly convenient streets nearby that will keep that from being a huge problem,” Buck said.
To get around the construction, traffic will be detoured onto Yeager Road. Buck said the complete closure of Cumberland is scheduled to last until June 15, when the road will be partially opened to traffic.
By this mid-June date, Buck said the pavement, curbs, signs and the Kent Avenue intersection roundabout will be finished. The roundabout will be the city’s first. Other work will continue until October.
Although Buck said the complete closure of the section under construction inconveniences many, it allows for the total project to be finished in one year instead of two.
“Getting the shorter time frame as a result will really make this worthwhile,” Buck said.
Capt. Chris Leroux of the West Lafayette Police Department said the construction will affect those in the Cumberland area, including anyone trying to access Purdue Research Park. Still, he said the detours will be minor.
“You’re talking about less than a quarter of a mile to get back where you need to be,” Leroux said.
Buck said the road’s deteriorating pavement made the need for the project clear. The project also aims to implement environmentally friendly designs. For example, rainwater will be channeled into biofiltration swales – V-shaped ditches – in the median and then filtered in rain gardens before entering an existing detention pond.