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The intersection of Pope and Detroit streets in Warsaw has been a point of concern for many for years.
Possible solutions are being worked out.
Friday, Public Works Director Dustin Dillon presented the Board of Public Works and Safety addendum no. 2 to a contract with VS Engineering Inc. for $13,000.
“The original contract was back July 15, 2025, when we asked them to study some safety recommendations for the Detroit and Pope Street intersection,” he said. “So addendum 1 was for $29,600 to further develop some alternatives. This second addendum for $13,000 is now to prepare a presentation that we will bring to Traffic Safety Commission, and then as well as bid documents moving forward.”
Dillon said they had VS Engineering come up with three different options.
“Originally, we had a committee, throughout our city staffing, take a look at this - emergency services, included the school - and just moving forward to make some safety improvements in the area. Something that has been needed for decades. I know Mayor Grose constantly tells us about how he’s rode through there for three-plus decades and dealing with that problem. We’ve got some things in mind and we won’t go into them publicly until we do the presentation, but again, this agreement is just moving forward for some progress in the area that’s been much-needed,” he stated.
Grose thanked Dillon and “countless others” for their work.
“Pope Street, I do remember, at one time, I know I heard it, the busiest street in the city of Warsaw, just that section. So, we’re doing everything we can to present something, early study, to the Traffic Commission. I think it’ll be a good exercise. We’ll see what their reaction is, but, obviously, the dollar amount, a lot has to be considered, looked at to even come up with a proposal of benefit. Really, that entire area, along with traffic flow,” Grose said.
Quance asked, “So this is really similar to what our first contract was, around $16,000, right? Then we added an addendum for $26,000 to actually move forward with that, and now this is for an additional $13,000 so that we can prepare their presentation and then be ready to bid?”
“Correct,” Dillon responded, “and provide all the bid documents as well for that. Again, a ton of work has went into this, just with the study and bringing industry experts in that have dealt with these sort of issues in other communities. So this is kind of a unique situation, but one that other communities have shared similar problems. So just making sure that we’ve thought everything through as far as traffic patterns, schools emergency services, impacts at different stoplights and things and how all of that is going to tie together with this.”
Quance made the motion to approve the $13,000 addendum, and the motion passed 3-0.
Parker & Husky
Later in the meeting, Dillon presented what he called a “unique” request.
In October, he said the Warsaw Public Works Department applied through the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) for the state’s Community Crossings Matching Grant (CCMG). They were not awarded the grant, which Dillon said was the first time in about six years.
“Due to some new legislation, things that are being acted on currently down state, there’s an opportunity. INDOT called last week and there’s an opportunity that we may still be eligible for some funding here with this and they asked us to go ahead and put our project out for bid. Once we have that dollar amount, to get that to them and they are extremely confident that the funds will come through,” Dillon explained.
He asked for the Board of Works’ permission to go ahead and put that project out for bid.
“This was a 4-inch structural mill and overlay with some full-depth patching. This is areas of Parker Street, which is the egress/ingress up to Menards from 30 to Husky Trail; Husky Trail, basically from the roundabout heading back south into the east going round to Patterson Road; and then to 75 North up to the intersection on 175,” Dillon said. “So a large, highly-traveled section of roadway, a main artery coming into the Menards district right there on Husky Trail.”
The original engineer’s estimate for the work was a little over $1.8 million. The CCMG would provide about 50% of that, or about $900,000, if it’s received.
“Again, funds aren’t 100% guaranteed, but INDOT assured me that ‘we wouldn’t be asking you to put the project out if we weren’t extremely confident that funds were coming through.’ But, there is a rush to get these dollars spent and these projects under contract before INDOT’s fiscal year ends there in June,” Dillon stated.
He said there’s areas out on Husky Trail that has potholes starting to form and other concerns.
“That’s an area that sees over 10,000 vehicles a day, so much needed out there,” Dillon said.
Quance said it sounded like they needed to proceed with all haste but not making a decision hastily, so she appreciated Dillon staying on top of it. She made the motion to give Dillon permission to let bids for the project. The motion passed 3-0.
