Construction starts at intersection of Atwater and Henderson

Major road construction on the intersection of East Atwater Avenue and South Henderson Street is scheduled to begin May 9 and will last until fall 2011.

The road construction will eventually involve lane closures at one of the busiest intersections in Bloomington. Atwater Avenue has about 13,200 vehicles pass through it every day and is classified as a principal arterial, according to the City of Bloomington’s plans for the intersection.

One lane at a time on East Atwater Avenue and South Henderson Street may be closed as well as part of South Dunn Street.

The purpose of the project is primarily to increase the safety for pedestrians crossing Atwater Avenue by adding a stoplight and crosswalks at the corner of East Atwater Avenue and South Henderson Street. A crosswalk will also be added on a new connector between South Dunn Street and East Atwater Avenue.

The construction will also lengthen the line of sight vehicles have upon entering the intersection, move and replace the existing connector to South Dunn Street and eliminate the connector from East Atwater Avenue to South Indiana Avenue by creating a turn lane at the stoplight.

The plan also envisages narrower pavement for vehicles, wider sidewalks that are farther way from the road, a narrower connector to South Dunn Street and crosswalks that meet at the shortest possible width of the road.

The construction bid for the intersection was awarded to Crider & Crider, Inc. in the amount of $580,489.80.

— Zach Ammerman