Tunnel will open passage to unused land for public
Palladium-Item (Richmond,
IN)
May 30, 2007
By BILL ENGLE, STAFF WRITER
Works begins today on the tunnel under Hayes Arboretum Road that,
before the end of the year, will double the size of Hayes Arboretum.
Hayes Arboretum Road between Woodside Drive and Elks Country Club
Road will close today for three weeks as Mike Delucio & Sons
Excavating begins preparations to put a tunnel under the road.
When completed this fall, the tunnel will link the main 177-acre
arboretum with the 175-acre tract east of the road.
"It's exciting," said arboretum director Rod Waltz. "There are some
wonderful features over there that we will be able to showcase in
time."
The arboretum has owned part of the east property since 1915 and
added sections in 1977 and 2001. It has never been open to the
public.
"It has only been used for special classes," Waltz said. "We have
been assembling property on that site for a number of years."
The plan is to put a pre-cast cement 12 feet by 12 feet box culvert
in a hole that will be 16 feet deep and 120 feet long.
"It's a pretty good-sized project," said Butch Delucio, one of the
partners who owns the Delucio company. "We're bringing a couple of
dozers in and then bringing in a pretty good-sized crane. Right now,
we're just starting the prep work."
Delucio said his company has installed several box culverts, many
for the city of Richmond. One was put in to solve the stormwater
sewer system problem on South Fifth Street near South G.
Waltz said arboretum officials hope to have the tunnel in place by
June and hope to open it to the public by fall. But that's when the
real work starts.
"We will be years adding amenities and developing trails," he said.
"It's a pretty hazardous road to try to cross. This will allow
people to go right under the road."
AT A GLANCE
- The tunnel that will go under Hayes Arboretum Road will
consist of 10 sections of pre-cast concrete, each weighing
40,000 pounds.
- The sections will be brought in one at a time and will be
laid in a trench that is 16 feet deep and 120 feet long.
- Initial work will be done in June and the tunnel should be
open to the public this fall.
Section: Local, Page: 3A
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