Drivers must dodge equipment boxes in construction zone

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- If you drive SR23 near Edison and Cedar Street, you may have noticed the valve boxes sticking a few inches above the road. Drivers say between the uneven road and the equipment boxes, driving on SR23 is no easy task.



INDOT says they're aware of the issues on SR23, but they don't know when the paving company will be out to make the lanes even again.



"I think it's really unsafe because I've seen people swerve right in front of me because a lot of them have low profile tires and they don't want to run over that," said Juvenal Avilez.



Emily Sipos-Butler is worried about her tires.



"If there is someone right in front of me, I can't always tell that there's one coming up and I have had some close calls swerving to miss them," said Sipos-Butler.



The raised boxes with pointed corners are causing problems for drivers.



They stick up between one and a half to one and a quarter inches above the road.



Many are marked with high visibility paint, but there are several that aren't.



"You can't see them at night and there was no warning they were going to do this," said Sipos-Butler.



INDOT says the boxes are supposed to have paint on them and as far as they know, everything in the construction zone has been done to construction zone requirements.



INDOT says they're aiming to have the work complete by mid-July.



If you drive slowly through the work zone, INDOT says you shouldn't have any trouble driving in the area. They know it is an inconvenience and they are working to get it complete as soon as possible.