Ohio River Scenic Byway project lands federal grant
The Federal Highway Administration has awarded a more than $1 million grant to the Indiana Department of Transportation to support work to preserve portions of the Ohio River Scenic Byway. INDOT says the funds will be used to stabilize the byway at two landside locations in Switzerland County.
The Ohio River Scenic Byway is one of the original 14 National Scenic Byways designated in the U.S. in 1996. It covers more than 300 miles in southern Indiana and continues into Ohio and Illinois.
INDOT began work on the byway in early April as it was awaiting announcement of the federal funding. The project aims to address safety concerns by reconstructing and stabilizing the byway at the landslide locations, which are about 1,000 feet apart.
The first location is on State Road 156, about 3.4 miles east of SR 101. INDOT plans to use the funding to stabilize the landslides by removing sub-base earth until it reaches bedrock, install new guard railing, and replacing it with more than 75,000 tons or riprap, or stones that are used to protect soil from erosion.
At the second location, crews will shift the roadway about six feet north, away from the steep slope. New guard railing will be installed, and a two-foot paved shoulder will be added along with a French drain.
INDOT also plans to install nearly 70 interpretive panels along the entirety of the byway from Ohio to Illinois. The panels will be designed to inform users about the national significance of the byway and nearby tourist destinations.
Ohio-based Sunesis Construction has been contracted for the project. Construction is slated to be complete this fall.
The project is one of 33 to receive a total of $21.8 million in grants from the FHWA. You can view the full list of grant recipients by clicking here.
“FHWA is proud to award these grants that will help make travel safer, provide more enjoyable access, and support local businesses along scenic byways across the country,” Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt said in a news release. “Scenic routes provide myriad ways to explore the United States, and it’s no wonder that since its inception in 1992, the National Scenic Byways Program has received broad support from Members of Congress, State and local officials, and the public.”
The FHWA says to earn the National Scenic Byway designation, a must meet the criteria for at least one of six intrinsic qualities: archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational, and scenic.
“The features contributing to the distinctive characteristics of the corridor’s intrinsic quality are recognized throughout the region and are considered regionally significant,” the agency said on its website.
Indiana has three National Scenic Byways. In addition to the Ohio River Scenic Byway, the Hoosier State has Indiana’s Historic Pathways in southern Indiana, as well as the Whitewater Canal Scenic Byway in east central Indiana.