Wednesday marked the start of the process that will include the installation of a traffic light at the intersection of Carver Street and the bypass.

The Carver Street light is part of a larger signal installation and upgrade project in a variety of counties being undertaken by the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT). This means that although the project was unofficially awarded to a bidder on Wednesday, construction here will not begin until late March of 2009. The bid itself remains under scrutiny as all bids came in above the engineer’s estimate, according to Chris Wahlman, P.E., INDOT Seymour District, who is the consultant overseeing the project. So long as it does not exceed 5 percent more than the estimate, the work will be done by Quanta Services Inc. of South Bend. The chance remains, however, that the estimate will need to be amended before any bid can meet the requirement, Greensburg Street Commissioner Mark Klosterkemper explained. Then, the project would be re-bid next month. Still, since the construction season is coming to a close, the start of construction should not be delayed.

Wahlman said installation of the signal should take one to two months to complete and should be finished prior to Sept. 19, 2009. This will coincide with the hoped-for first season of Lincoln Street Construction, but Klosterkemper said the added burden should be small because most local traffic will take Broadway Street.

Historically, the intersection has been known as dangerous terrain for motorists, especially those crossing the bypass on Carver Street. Multiple vehicle collisions recently, including the fatal accident in June that killed Heather Fisse and David Filler, have drawn the attention of many area residents to the intersection. Many have speculated that something should be done to improve the safety of crossing. Local residents have not been the only ones paying attention.

Klosterkemper said the light is the product of an INDOT traffic study that determined the level of road use is high enough to warrant a signal. Although he knows the project may not be popular or feel convenient to those who drive through the area, he said it will be safer.

“Anything that lessens the risk to people is a good thing,â€? he said.

He also pointed out that part of the preparations for Honda includes synchronizing the lights along the bypass to improve the flow of traffic. He believes the Carver Street light will be part of this project and that the outcome could prove to keep traffic moving better than it currently does without the additional light.