MADISON, Ind. (WDRB) -- The gateway into the city of Madison, Indiana, is getting a much needed multi-million dollar makeover.
The Project 421 Madison Gateway aims to improve safety and traffic flow for people coming in and out of the city. Drivers going back and forth between Milton and Madison use a brand new bridge completed just a few years ago, but once drivers get across, they're met with a tricky traffic situation.
The bridge approach on the Indiana side is kind of a cluster, and can be confusing.
"If you come off the bridge into Indiana, you have three 90 degrees turns before you get up on to Main Street,” Madison Mayor Damon Welch said.
All of that will soon change. A $9.5 million project will transform the bridge approach area at U.S. 421 and Second Street.
"This is a pretty important gateway, not only into our city, but into Indiana,” Welch said.
Several buildings will be torn down, the road will be widened and extended, and drivers will be able to come off the bridge and head straight up to Main Street. The street that runs through the heart of the city is home to most of the businesses and restaurants.
"It's going to be a lot easier to get on to Main Street,” Welch said. “No stopping and starting"
People who live in the area say the improvements are much needed. The State of Indiana is paying for the project and an INDOT contractor is scheduled to start the work on April 15.
The project will take time and will cause some lane closures and detours at times, but Welch says it's a small price to pay.
"For what we're going to get out of this, people can hopefully put up with this for a while,” He said. “We're just asking the public to be patient."
The construction should be completed by late summer 2020.
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