$5 Million Worth of Infrastructure Projects Approved

Two major infrastructure investments were approved at this morning’s Board of Public Works and Safety meeting. The Board approved contracts for the Charlestown Road Infrastructure and Road Improvement Project along with approving contracts for the East Main Street Infrastructure and Road Improvement Project (from State Street to East 5th Street).

These two projects total nearly $5 million worth of infrastructure improvements in New Albany.

“These two road improvements projects add to the growing list of roadway, stormwater, sewer, and other infrastructure improvements currently ongoing or planned for the near future in New Albany,” stated Mayor Jeff Gahan.

The improvements along Charlestown Road will span from Hedden Court to Genung Drive. Planned improvements include the full construction of a curb, gutter, and 6-foot sidewalks on both sides of the road to help improve pedestrian safety throughout the corridor. A newly constructed storm water system will also be in place to assist in drainage. The road will also be milled, widened, and then repaved to 31 feet wide, allowing for a new lane of traffic. This new lane will allow for two-way left-turn lanes, improving the flow of traffic along Charlestown Road.

Infrastructure improvements along East Main Street will span from State Street to East 5th. Planned improvements include addition of on-street parking on both sides of the street throughout the project. Bump out features and bike lanes are planned to assist with bicycle-users and pedestrian safety. Sidewalks will also be updated with ADA compliant crosswalk ramps and new construction where needed. Lighting improvements are also part of the project, which will help improve pedestrian visibility and safety.

Historic Preservation - Second Baptist Church Restoration Wins Award

The Second Baptist Church, also known as the Town Clock Church, is one of the most storied historic buildings in downtown New Albany. First constructed in 1852, the church (and its iconic steeple), served as a beacon of hope and freedom along the Underground Railroad.

The Cook Cup for Outstanding restoration, awarded to Second Baptist Church in New Albany.

Unfortunately, the steeple was damaged during a large storm in 1915, and funds were needed to repair and restore the historic structure. In July of 2013, the New Albany City Council approved appropriating $75,000 towards the restoration of the Second Baptist Church steeple for historic preservation purposes.

Second Baptist Church, pictured in 2016, without its iconic steeple.

“Historic Preservation is extremely important to us,” stated Mayor Jeff Gahan. “Our river city is over 200 years old, and some of its buildings are starting to show it. By restoring these historic structures, we can preserve their rich history so that future generations can learn from and utilize them.”

With financial backing from the City of New Albany, the Horseshoe Foundation of Floyd County, the Friends of the Town Clock Church, and numerous other contributors, the steeple was eventually restored, along with other restoration efforts at the structure.

Recently, those efforts were recognized by Indiana Landmarks, who presented the Cook Cup for Outstanding Restoration to New Albany’s Second Baptist Church. According to a release form Indiana Landmarks, the Cook Cup ""recognizes the owner of a significant historic structure that has been transformed through a restoration that meets the highest standards in method, materials and design. The judges also take into consideration the importance of the structure, its condition at the outset, and the project's community impact."

"We really do appreciate everything that the community has done for Second Baptist to help restore the building," stated Pastor Joyce Marshall of the Second Baptist Church. "Putting the steeple back on the church with the light shining is a reminder that we are all working together – that we can come together and work together in that light."

"The community response has been great, and we thank everyone in the community for their support," stated Pastor LeRoy Marshall of the Second Baptist Church. "Now it is time for us to give back and do some outreach in the community."

Second Baptist Church on Main Street in New Albany.

As visitors cross into New Albany over the Ohio River, the historic steeple is once again visible.

Mosquito Abatement Program Begins May 14

The City of New Albany will begin its annual Mosquito abatement program beginning the week of May the 14th. This control program will be using foggers that covers up to a two mile radius to apply the mosquito product Duet. The active ingredients in Duet have been carefully tested. Duet is registered for ground and aerial applications in outdoor residential and recreational areas. Duet’s active ingredients break down rapidly in sunlight into carbon dioxide and water vapor. Duet has been widely used in mosquito control since 1975. Spot applications may be used per Floyd County Health Department request. Application times will start at dusk and continue to midnight.

We are pleased to announce that City of New Albany has on staff two licensed applicators. These employees have received their license through the Office of Indiana State Chemist via Purdue. All licensed employees are required to have 15 hour of continuing education every 5 years to maintain their license. 

These Fogging machines are annually calibrated and certified by Clarke Mosquito Control to maintain the specified particle size.

For more information, or to report problem areas, please call the New Albany Wastewater Utility at 812-948-5320.

Hotmix Plants are Open - Asphalt Repairs Underway

There’s no question – this winter was rough on our roadways. With the high amount of rain and freezing temperatures, Mother Nature held no punches this year when it came to damaging certain roadways with potholes and cracks. During colder months, the city can only temporarily repair potholes with cold-patch. Unfortunately, this temporary solution will wash out with age, until a permanent hot-mix solution can be put in place.

With warmer weather on the horizon, asphalt plants have been re-opening and allowing the City of New Albany to begin performing asphalt repairs. Here are some recent statistics on the number of pothole repairs that were conducted in March and the beginning of April using hotmix.

In March, 604 potholes were filled in over 120 different locations. As of April 11th, the Street Department had already repaired 365 potholes in 66 locations this month.

Starting next week, asphalt repair crews will be in the following areas filling potholes, patching roadways, and helping get our roads back in good condition after this rough winter:

Scribner Drive, Cherry Street, Main Street, Old Vincennes Road, Falcon Ridge, Daisy Lane, Green Valley Road (from I-265 to Hausfeldt), and Castlewood.

If you see a pothole or damaged asphalt, please report the location to the Street Department at (812) 948-5352 so that we can get a crew out to repair it.

Stormwater Projects at Wildwood, Captain Frank Road to Begin Monday

With the recent rain events, two areas were located by the Stormwater Department as in need of repairs and upgrades to help ensure that the drainage system is operating efficiently and effectively.

One location is at the entrance to the Wildwood subdivision, where a culvert under the roadway is in need of replacement. The existing corrugated metal pipe will be removed and replaced with a new reinforced concrete pipe (RCP). The new pipe, according to Jorge Lanz with Jacobi Toombs & Lanz Engineers, should provide a useful life of over 50 years.

“The contractor had proposed a different type of pipe, but I recommended we switch to the RCP to provide a more long-term solution,” stated Mr. Lanz. “This project is something that is necessary, and it’s always great when we can catch these issues ahead of time and provide solutions before major problems occur.”

Work will begin at this location on Monday, April 16th. The project will require the closure of the entrance to the subdivision. Residents in this area will need to use the Braeview Drive exit. This work is expected to only take 1 working day to complete (weather dependent), and then crews will move to the second project.

The second location is along Captain Frank Road, where workers will be removing the existing pipe and installing new drainage infrastructure. This work will require a closure of Captain Frank Road, north of the Valley View intersection. Traffic control measures and detour signs will be put in place to assist with traffic while the work is completed.