The City of Bloomington Utilities and Milestone Contractors LP Announce Clear Creek Culvert Reconstruction Project Final Phase

Project Completion Scheduled for December 2024

The City of Bloomington Utilities (CBU) and its Bloomington-based partner Milestone Contractors LP are scheduled to complete the fifth and final phase on the Clear Creek Culvert Reconstruction project by December. Indiana Avenue between Kirkwood and 6th is currently closed; the west vehicle lane and west sidewalk will reopen by Aug. 29. Full project completion, including plantings, will occur by the end of the year. 

This is the final section of this culvert system under downtown to be addressed; the first project was in 1999. The current project will improve stormwater drainage and utility infrastructure in the downtown Bloomington area from Dunn Street to Indiana Avenue, fully updating the circa-1900 tunnel to current standards and preparing the municipal separate storm sewer system for years to come.

Each phase of the Clear Creek culvert reconstruction dating back to the original 1999 project has required an Army Corp of Engineers permit. This is the only phase that was not considered a maintenance/replacement activity qualifying under a Regional General Permit. This section was elevated to an Individual Permit which stipulated additional historic documentation and reuse of the existing limestone. Although CBU began the permit process in Aug. 2023, the additional measures were not fully communicated by the Army Corps of Engineers until May 2024. In order to meet the requirements of the permit, it was necessary for CBU and Milestone to modify the scope of work and project timeline to ensure the project will be completed in 2024. This modification changed the anticipated opening of one lance of Indiana Avenue from August 15th to Aug. 29th. 

The existing tunnel is currently functioning while the crew installs a new 22’x5’ concrete tunnel. The Milestone team is working closely with all directly affected individuals and businesses, including Indiana University, to minimize the impacts of such a major project. Milestone is also continuing to work closely with CBU to ensure the safety of the community and timely completion of the project. In 2023, CBU and the Milestone team successfully reconstructed more than 1,829 feet of culverts and sanitary sewers from Kirkwood to 1st Street. Each section that has been reconstructed is essential to preventing potential structural failures and improving the flow of the hidden river under downtown.