NEW ALBANY, Ind. (WDRB) -- A one-way street in New Albany could soon see drivers traveling in both directions, if both the city and the state of Indiana have their way.
There's a plan to convert a portion of Spring Street, from State Street to 5th Street, into a two-way street. If that section of Spring Street is converted from one-way to two-way, it could increase access to downtown, as well as visibility for businesses.
Fifth Street would also be converted to a two-way street, according to officials.
"INDOT and us looked at this area and decided it would potentially be a good idea to convert this section of Spring Street into two-way traffic," said Larry Summers, a city engineer for New Albany.
INDOT (the Indiana Department of Transportation) has the final say. It controls Spring Street from State Street to 5th Street because that segment is under the influence of Interstate 64.
"We said that this would be a great thing for the city of New Albany to have this move forward, and they've listened to us and they're moving forward," said Summers.
The change would also rework entrance and exit ramps to I-64.
"Rather than having a ramp interface at 4th Street and at 5th Street, (INDOT) is looking to combine both of those ramps onto 5th Street," said Summers.
When asked about the project, INDOT deferred all questions to the city of New Albany. New Albany officials are pushing for the project because they say past results showed promise.
In 2017, the city converted a large portion of downtown, including a different part of Spring Street, from one-way to two-way traffic.
"It slowed down traffic," Summers said. "It made it a safer place, it created more visibility for businesses in the area, and we think that continuing down the Spring Street corridor can potentially help."
It's not clear how much this project would cost, and the design is still in the works. But the city believes growth is evident in more than just "one way."
"You're going to have two-way traffic that connects our west end to our downtown," Summers said. "You're going to have two-way traffic on 5th Street that better connects folks that are going out to the Boat and to the ramps."
Work on the project could start as soon as 2025.
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