Charlestown Pike expansion in Jeffersonville moves forward with land acquisition

JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. (WDRB) -- A major Clark County road design is in the works and is expected to begin next year.

Officials say Charlestown Pike in Jeffersonville is in need of expansion. With roughly 15,000 cars a day traveling on the roadway, the street needs to be widened. Plans for the project were unveiled in Dec. 2021, after public feedback and planning.

"You're going to see a widening of Charlestown Pike, you're going to see curb and gutters, you're going to see street lighting, you're going to have sidewalks," said Jeffersonville Mayor Mike Moore.

The project requires the city of Jeffersonville to acquire private land along the roadway in order to widen it. Some of that land has already been purchased, but the city still has more to acquire. The land acquisition phase is about halfway done, according to the city.

"Whether somebody wants to hold out for a little bit more money, I don't blame them, but an expert is going to be the one that determines that," Moore said.

The plan breaks down into separate segments.

The first segment covers Holmans Lane to Utica-Sellersburg Road and will widen the road to include a turning lane as well as sidewalks on either side.

For Segment Two, the road from Utica-Sellersburg to Salem-Noble Road will widen as well, but won't have a constant turning lane. Instead, there will be acceleration and deceleration lanes around subdivision entrances. A sidewalk will also be added to one side.

The section between Utica-Sellersburg from Charlestown Pike to State Road 62 will also be included in the project, adding a sidewalk to one side of the road.

"With this subdivision, and the subdivision next door, and then the subdivisions down the next road, there's probably 2,000 houses and you end up with a lot more traffic," said David Tunnell, who has lived off of Charlestown Pike for around 17 years.

He said the traffic issues have grown along with the city and supports the project.

"It really needs to be done," Tunnel said. "Since they built these houses out here there's a ton of extra traffic and it can be quite hazardous."

The project is estimated to cost around $20 million, which will be financed through Tax Increment Financing (TIF) funds.

"We've saved up our money, we're ready to crack the piggy bank and get going with it," Moore said.

Once all of the land is acquired, utilities will be relocated in the fall.

Construction is expected to begin in spring of 2024.

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