J-Turns may be coming to Marshall County in the next few years.
Representatives from the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) presented their plan to place J-Turns on U.S. 30 during the Commissioner’s meeting Monday morning. Their plan includes taking the stop lights out at King Road and Queen Road and creating J-Turns. This is part of a larger corridor plan along U.S. 30 that will create a limited access highway in the future.
J-Turns reduce crashes and improve safety by reducing the potential conflicts from 32 with a traditional four lane divided highway to 14 with the intersection improvements.
The J-Turns placed at U.S. 41 and State Road 114 four years ago show a 68% reduction in crashes and an 89% reduction in injury crashes.
The J-Turn at Queen Road would not have any crossover. Traffic wishing to cross U.S. 30 a Queen Road would have to turn right onto the divided highway, merge into the left, make a U-turn and then exit on the Queen Road with a right hand turn.
The J-Turn at King Road will also close the current crossover. King Road/9A Road will be relocated to the east and offer west bound semi traffic for the truck stop the ability to make a left turn crossing over the east bound lanes of U.S. 30. Semi traffic exiting the truck stop will exit east bound and those wishing to head west will make the u-turn and head back to the west.
INDOT told the commissioners the project is scheduled for fiscal year 2023.
The final designs haven’t been drawn and INDOT will hold some public information meetings before implementation of the plan.
The commissioners unanimously motioned to support the plan at this time. INDOT will take the plan to the next MACOG meeting for consideration.
