A view of Hickory Street looking north. Eventually, parking will be limited on the east side of the tracks and the west side will become one-way traffic. InkFreeNews photo by Dan Spalding.

WARSAW — Changes to a two-block stretch of Hickory Street are tentatively planned for next year.

The road is about three blocks in length, but the city is working with Norfolk Southern and state transportation officials to revamp the two blocks to the north and south of Center Street.

Part of the work will entail one-way directions coming off Center Street.

The one-way route will be northbound to the north of Center Street and southbound south of Center Street.

The one-way traffic will be on the west side of the tracks. The east side of the tracks will be intended for parallel parking.

The problem with that stretch of Hickory is that it straddles a set of railroad tracks. Concerns came into focus in the past year when a vehicle improperly parked along the east side of the street was clipped by a train because it was too close to the tracks. 

Parking areas along the east side will be reconstructed to include “bump-outs,” a design technique used on the nearby Market Street project that make it clear the area is intended for parking.

The project is being coordinated with the Indiana Department of Transportation and Norfolk Southern railroad. The city is not leading the project.

City Engineer James Emans said the changes are an attempt to “get traffic off the railroad tracks.”

Eads updated the Board of Works and Safety on the project Friday, Nov. 1.

“This is all in an effort to improve the safety in that Hickory Street area where you’ve got freight trains barreling through the area several times … a day,” said Mayor Joe Thallemer, who is a member of the board of works.

Thallemer pointed out that the city had a role in the design changes for the street.

Emans said the section of street will result in a “slight” decrease in parking spots, but that there will be enough parking to accommodate homes along the street.

The project is tied in with plans to improve signalization of railroad crossings at Market and Center street.

Plan Director Jeremy Skinner said construction of the bump-outs could begin next spring, but noted that much of the project is outside of the city’s control.

INDOT is covering the cost of the improvements.

In other matters:

• The board agreed to spend $3,000 on educational information that will be provided by 212 Media Studios for the longterm US 30 reconfiguration project.
• The board approved a request by police to apply for three grants to help pay for road patrols and other types of patrols. The city often works with Winona Lake on the grant requests. Winona Lake serves as the administrator for the grants.
• The board was informed that the city will work to update plat records involving the Buffalo Street redevelopment project.