Elkhart residents learn about street widening project at public meeting

ELKHART, Ind. - Many in the Elkhart community came out to a meeting on Thursday evening to learn about the Bristol Street widening project.

“I just hope the city will really look at this project and consider what everyone is asking or saying to them about it,” Elkhart resident Pat Witt said.

The stretch of Bristol Street from Jeanwood Drive to County Road 15 if approved will cost $7.5 million dollars of which $6 million would come from state and federal grants and the rest would be covered by the city of Elkhart’s “local option income tax fund.”

City of Elkhart Engineer Jeffrey Schaffer explained the vision behind the project.

“What we’re proposing is to take a rural two lane section of Bristol street which we inherited from the county and widen it out to more of an urban section with curb and gutters with a center turn lane with sidewalks and with a multi-use path, that’s the proposal that we’re really looking at,” Schaffer said.  

The proposal would need the city council's approval before moving forward.

If the proposal advances construction on the project would begin in 2023 or early 2024 with an estimate completion time of approximately two years.