By BOB SHRALUKA
WZBD.com
“Sign, sign, everywhere a sign, blocking out the scenery, breakin’ my mind,” the Five Man Electrical Band sang in their 1970 hit.
Surely there are some Decatur residents have thoughts of signs on their minds as they approach the city’s new Five Points Roundabout.
The much-aligned roundabout – or, traffic circle, if you prefer – was opened Sept. 25 and yet … there are still signs around town signs which point the way to detours, signs which say the street ahead is not open, etc.
One sign on Mercer Ave., a mere block from the roundabout – which can be seen ahead – says, “Road Closed to Thru Traffic.” (See photo.)
Wait a minute! The road isn’t closed ahead! That’s where the newly opened roundabout is welcoming traffic.
Asked about it, and other signs which haven’t been removed, Decatur’s operations manager, Jeremy Gilbert, said the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) – which was in charge of the project – keeps project signs in place until it completes final inspections.
That policy is in place in the event the project area has to be closed again due to something not passing inspection, Gilbert explained. If the signs had already been removed, the company which provides the signs would have to return them, causing additional fees and charges.
So why not just turn around the sign on Mercer Ave. and other places, or throw a cover over them?
“It’s called INDOT wisdom,” a city official replied when asked.
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