INDOT proposing changing SR 2 and Larrison Blvd. intersection to interchange

NEW CARLISLE, Ind. -- Safer and more efficient travel, that’s the goal for Indiana’s Department of Transportation (INDOT) as they are looking to possibly change the intersection of State Road 2 (SR 2) and Larrison Blvd., also known as Strawberry Rd., to an interchange.

Officials held their first public information meeting Thurs. evening at New Prairie High School, starting with an open house for residents to view the possible project plans, then did a presentation where an informational video was played.

The possible project would convert the current two-way stop intersection at SR 2 and Larrison Blvd. to a diverging diamond interchange.

Several other interchanges were considered, like a partial clover leaf and a traditional diamond, but INDOT’s public relations director, Cassandra Bajek, explained the diverging diamond meets all of the needs for the area and is the most cost effective.

The current intersection is known as an area with dangerous left turns and consistent traffic congestion. The proposed interchange would essentially make SR 2 and Larrison Blvd. no longer intersect one another.

Instead, one would be a bridge on top of the other. They haven’t determined which would go above or below, but Bajek said it would help both the issues now, and potential problems later down the road.

“When we’re looking at traffic models going 10 years into the future, um, it shows that this area would be completely gridlocked because of all of the development that’s happening in the area, so of course we want to get ahead of that and so we’re going to go ahead and address that with this interchange so that it’s safer and it also meets the needs of the future traffic,” said Bajek.

The project leaders have an accelerated timeline, hoping to be operational by 2027, but at this point, nothing is set in stone.

They will have another public meeting in the summer, but the date for that is not yet set. In the meantime, they are looking to the public for comments, questions, and concerns.

To submit those comments, or to view all of INDOT’s information on the project, including the material from the public information meeting, click here.