BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — After more than a year of delays fueled by public backlash, the installation of the Bloomington Bicentennial Gateway starts Sunday.
The Bloomington Board of Public Works approved temporary lane and sidewalk closures for the area near Miller-Showers Park, where the future gateway will be.
Throughout the project, the cut-through road and sidewalk that connects College Avenue and Walnut Street will be closed. There will will also be periodic lane closures on both College Avenue and Walnut Street for equipment unloading.
The new concept for the gateway, approved in January, features stacked limestone blocks that stand 10 feet high and feature backlighted letters that spell out “Bloomington.”
There is also room for future art installations.
The gateway is funded by $1.25 million that was set aside in 2018 for Bicentennial projects.
In 2022, the city asked for public feedback on proposed designs for the gateway. The then-finalized design was announced last September, but was quickly met with public criticism.
The original concept was a 40-foot monolith-style gateway with backlighted letters that spell out “Bloomington.”
A new design was released last November and approved in January. The construction contracts for the project were awarded to Reed & Sons Construction in June.
As part of the project, the city will also fix sidewalks and curb ramps on the north end of the park, with enough space for future construction as part of the Walnut/College corridor study.
Construction on the gateway is expected to be complete by Nov. 15.
