Peru ready for bids to redo controversial intersection

The city of Peru is taking another stab at making the Venture Drive and 38th Street intersection more convenient while also keeping safety in mind.

Bids will soon be accepted to move Venture Drive about 170 feet to the west so that it will intersect with 38th Street in what is now the southwest part of the Goodwill/Hobby Lobby/MC Sports parking lot. When the realignment is done, you’ll be able to turn left onto 38th Street from Venture Drive unlike now where you can only turn right. The orange pylons at the intersection now will be replaced with a raised median.

Peru Engineer Eric Carls hopes to start construction on the realigned Venture Drive this spring with the work taking four to six months to finish. He says they still need to work out a land purchase agreement with Steak and Shake.

Carls says they’ve looked at about 10 other options including a roundabout intersection but it just isn’t feasible.